Sister Princess
by Beyond the Bounds-Zenithos
Summary: Due to a sudden and unexpected tragedy, Keitaro suddenly has to manage his 12 little sisters. How will the penniless Toudai retaker stand up to the challenge?Hinata Sou will never be the same again...[chp10 up!]
1. Chp1: The Legacy

Sister Princess

By Zenithos

A sudden and unexpected tragedy suddenly leaves Keitaro as the sole heir to the Urashima legacy. But along with it came a footnote that he must take care of all 12 of his little sisters. Plural. Hinata-Sou will never be the same again…

Beyond the Bounds takes full credit for the story idea. He has kindly allowed me use it to start off my first ever fanfic. Thanks, BTB.

Also, since Beyond the Bounds will be particularly busy until the end of the year due to university applications, exams and such, I'll be taking over his stories for the time being, so Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu! I'm not as experienced as he is, so every bit of help, support, and advice is completely welcome. Thank you everyone!

This story is completely spoiler-free.

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina. The story idea comes from Sister Princess, which I off course do not own. This fan fiction was written completely for personal enjoyment, not for profit.

This is my first fanfic, so please review and tell me what you think! Thanks!

Proof-read by Beyond the Bounds

* * *

Chp1: The Legacy 

It was another snowy December evening. The sky was overcast and dotted with flecks of white. A few crows, too lazy to fly south, had taken to warming themselves by a number of electrical transformers. They watched lazily as lone, young man trudged up through the snow laden street. A few street lamps sluggishly flickered on as the last rays of sunlight slid under the horizon.

The young man was definitely ill-dressed for the weather. A single sweater, a shirt, and a pair of jeans were his only defenses against the biting cold. An inconsiderate driver sloshed up mud and dirt onto the young man as he made a quick turn around a bend, leaving the young man more depressed than ever.

The young man picked up his pace, suddenly remembering that he had chores to do back home. Then he slowed down again, remembering why he wasn't at home doing those said chores in the first place. He glanced back at his landing site not too far up the street. It was smoking human-shaped crater. He sighed and continued on walking, without any exact destination in mind.

Why was he walking so disconsolately down a frost covered street? Why was there a human-shaped crater further up the street? Why was he so gloomy in the first place?

Urashima Keitaro was again a victim of yet another misunderstanding involving the laundry, a pair of panties, one of his tenants; Shinobu-chan, a turtle, another of his tenants; Mitsune, booze, and just another case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Yes, he was found lying on top of Shinobu-chan with his face stuck to a pair of panties. But before he could even explain that he was carrying the laundry down before bumping into Shinobu, he was already sent flying by a combo of kicks and katana slashes from two of his other tenants, namely Aoyama Motoko and Narusegawa Naru.

Unfortunately, he proceeded to land on Mitsune's bosom, who, being drunk, started to do extremely lewd things to Keitaro against his will. This earned him another Naru punch and a Shinmei-ryu rock splitter which sent him flying into the stratosphere. The missiles that incinerated him up by the stratosphere, merely as an addition, were sent by another tenant, Kaolla Suu, mostly for fun.

He was contemplating giving up on being the manager of Hinata-Sou along with his inheritance rights, seeing as he just couldn't live with this sort of thing any longer. It wasn't the pain of being clobbered and sent flying into the stratosphere that bothered him. It was just the lack of respect and appreciation. He tried his best. God knows he tried his best. But his best is just never enough for those girls. Not to mention how quick they are at jumping to conclusions, most of which are normally wrong.

Just as he took out his handkerchief to wipe off the mud from the car, another car swept by and splashed more mud onto him. The draft from the car whipped the handkerchief out of his hand and carried up before another gust of wind picked it up and blew it down the street. He sighed and followed it down the street until it finally landed in a particularly muddy patch in a deserted field.

As he stooped to pick it up, he noticed a lone figure sitting hunched, shivering by a pile of disused concrete pipes. A certain curiosity and urge to help welled up within him. He decided to watch the figure for a bit before making any moves.

He noticed that the figure was wearing a cute white kitty hat, though it was rather grimy with mud and dirt. He also realized that the figure had long flowing pale blonde hair.

Something clicked in his mind. Though he thought it was almost impossible, he felt he had to make sure. He strode up to the figure quietly.

Sensing his approach, the small figure quickly looked up at him. It was a small girl, with a visage that could only be described as being childishly cute, with two, large, bright russet eyes, a small round nose, and a round chin. She was rather pale and Keitaro could see that she had been crying.

"…Nii…Nii-sama?" she murmured quietly. "Nii-sama?" she asked again.

"S…Shirayuki?" Keitaro asked in disbelief, reaching out to her.

"NII-SAMA!" She cried, leaping into his arms, sobbing and hiccupping.

Keitaro was dumbfounded. This was probably the last place he had expected to meet her. Nevertheless, his brotherly instincts kicked in and he tightened his hold around her. "It's all right…it's all right…I'm here now…." He tried to reassure her in the only way he knew how to. Though he had used it mostly back when she was still an infant and he doubted whether or not it would be effective now. '…she's grown…' he thought. The last time he had seen her was when she was 4, and that was already 5 years ago.

He realized that she had suddenly gone quiet. Quite gentle breathing had replaced the sobs and hiccups. He looked down and realized she had fallen asleep in his arms. Now what to do?

He realized she was dressed in a white dress and a small, light blue coat, which were hardly any good against the cold. He took off his only sweater and wrapped it around her before scooping her up in his arms.

There was nothing to do other than to bring her back to Hinata Sou. He just hopped that he could explain everything before they start hammering him for pedophilia, which he knew would almost certainly happen.

* * *

The long journey back to the Hinata Sou, the arduous climb up the long flight of stairs, coupled with the weight of the little girl in his arms, had proved taxing in terms of stamina. But Keitaro had made a point of reserving just a bit of it to endure what lie on the other side of the door he was now standing before. Not to mention he was also extremely worried about Shirayuki-chan. Why was she out in the cold like that? And why was she mumbling 'oka-san' and 'oto-san' repeatedly in her sleep on the way here? He couldn't help but feel a deep sense of foreboding. 

He would've stopped by Haruka's place, if only she was around. It would've been far more convenient than having to explain the situation to everyone else. A dark, evil aura seemed to emanate from within the doors, prophesizing doom and destruction upon the returning manager. He looked down at Shirayuki's peaceful sleeping face and a new sense of determination welled up inside him. He took a deep breath, ran his entire explanation through his mind again, before exhaling slowly and sliding open the front doors to Hinata Sou.

"ABOUT TIME YOU GOT BACK!" A voice screamed from inside. "PREPARE TO…huh?" Narusegawa Naru's tirade stopped short as she noticed the little figure curled up in Keitaro's arms. She gasped, "K…Keitaro…you…you didn't just kidnap this little girl, did you?"

"WHAT WAS THAT, URASHIMA!" Another voice thundered through the house, shaking everything from the foundation up. The proud figure of a female samurai skid into view, katana brandished and shining. She too noticed the small girl Keitaro was holding, and coupled with what Naru had just said, her mind made a few logical leaps that would even make Sherlock Holmes gape in awe. She immediately voiced her opinion on the matter. "DIE URASHIMA!"

"Please…please…just give me a moment to…" Keitaro started, turning away slightly to shield Shirayuki from the oncoming onslaught.

"Explain, Keitaro?" Another voice asked from behind him. Both Motoko and Naru froze in their tracks upon noticing the two figures at the door.

One was Urashima Haruka, who's words had just saved Keitaro a second launching into the stratosphere. The other was a young, bespectacled, long haired man dressed in black.

"You need not explain anything, Keitaro, for now that is." Haruka said, taking a drag out of her ever-present cigarette. But there was something about his aunt, Keitaro noticed, that seemed awfully off. Was it the way her head was slightly bowed? Or was it the way her shoulders were very slightly hunched? "Naru, Motoko, can you please leave us alone for a moment? Keitaro will explain the situation later. As for Shirayuki-chan," Haruka motioned at Shirayuki. "Naru, could you please take care of her for a moment. Please change her clothes for her."

Naru, at a sudden loss for words, merely nodded and offered out her hands to take Shirayuki. But just as Keitaro was about to hand her over, Shirayuki woke up. As her eyes blinked gently open, she regarded Keitaro and softly murmured, "Nii-sama…." before cuddling into him further.

"N…nii-sama?" Naru gasped quietly in surprise. Motoko's eyes widened for a brief moment before returning to her state of vigilance. She still maintained her suspicions over Keitaro and the child.

"Err…Shirayuki-chan…can you be a good little girl and go with Naru-neechan here? She'll get you a change of clothes and a warm futon to sleep on. What do you say?" Keitaro asked, gently shaking the sleepy child awake again.

"NO!" Shirayuki cried, waking up completely and glomping onto Keitaro. "Hime-chan doesn't want to leave nii-sama!" She shouted, holding tightly onto Keitaro. "Please…don't leave Hime-chan…"

"All right, fine…" Haruka sighed, gesturing at the living room sofas. "You'd better sit down for this one, Keitaro. It might come as a bit of a shock." She said. "And yes, Shirayuki can stay with her nii-sama." She added, having been subjected to a watery eyed stare by Shirayuki. "Naru, Motoko, if you please?" Naru quickly made her exit, pausing briefly to take hold of Motoko's hand and leading her away.

"Good evening, Keitaro. I can see you've had a rather eventful evening…" The man in black said, smiling, sitting opposite Keitaro. He placed his black leather briefcase on the table and proceeded to open the locks. Keitaro was subconsciously gently rocking back and forth with Shirayuki on his lap, who was slowly falling into fitful sleep.

"Good evening, Matsura-san." Keitaro replied, having dug up the man's name from some old forgotten memory left in the inner recesses of his mind. He had met him on a few occasions back home. Apparently he was an old friend of his father's.

"You still remember me, Keitaro. That's an honour." He paused for a moment, trying to search for words. He took a deep breath and continued, "Well, I really don't like being the bearer of ill news, but, unfortunately, Keitaro…" He paused again. He coughed dryly as he tried to idly shuffle some papers in his briefcase. He finally sighed and looked up at Keitaro. "your parents….this morning…they…."

A heavy silence filled the room. Haruka was sitting motionless with her face away from Keitaro. Matsura-san had continued on saying a few words of consolation, all of which seemed muted to Keitaro. All his senses seemed to dim. The world spun on around him, leaving him behind in a small cocoon of time stasis.

Memories of his parents floated through his mind. They were all replayed vividly before his eyes. His childhood, his birthdays, the day his father taught him how to hold a boken, the day his mother attended his primary Mother's day. He found himself screaming for the memories to stop through choked tears.

"I…I'm sorry…" Keitaro said, his voice sounding extremely strained. "I….I…it's just that…" he looked down at his feet. "It came…It came as such a sur…surprise…"

"I understand, Keitaro….they were my best friends…and they've entrusted it to me to inform you about your inheritance…I know it seems so soon, but your parents had asked me to make all due haste with this issue should anything ever happen to them." Matsura said, sighing. He took out a thick wad of paper from his briefcase and handed it to Keitaro. "That is the legacy your parents have left you with."

"L…legacy?" Keitaro asked, shaking away the tears. He subconsciously held out his hand and took the pile of paperwork. "…all this for a sweetshop?"

"No…" Matsura said with a slow voice. "The sweetshop was only a small part of it. As you can see, most of the issues listed there are marked as confidential. Your parents had made it clear to me that this matter was far more urgent than their deaths. And should anything ever happen to them, you were to be informed of the legacy and everything it entails."

"But…what are these confidential things then?" Keitaro asked.

"For now, your parents only asked that the ownership of the legacy be transferred to you, along with all legal responsibilities. As for what exactly these confidential matters are, all will be made clear in time. Your parents also asked me to personally hand over this letter." Matsura said, handing Keitaro a white envelope. Keitaro quickly tore it open and read through the contents.

* * *

Dear Keitaro, 

We prayed that there would never be any need for this letter, but as you are reading it now, then we, your parents, have passed away. We understand how difficult it may be for you, but we must ask you not to grief over this matter. You, as the eldest son of the Urashima clan, will have to take up the responsibilities of being the family head forthwith. It is with such a burden that we've left you, and for that we apologize dearly. The Urashima Legacy is now in your hands. Take good care of it.

Another issue that we feel we must address, though we're sure you already know about, is the issue of your sisters. We must ask that you take good care of them in our stead and we are sure that you'd be willing to accept full responsibility for them. Please, you are all they have left in the world, so give them our love in our stead.

* * *

The rest of the letter contained further minute details, such as the family residence, and other matters. But at that moment, Keitaro felt particularly worried about the subject of his sisters. 

"Matsura-san…my sisters?" He asked, a tone of urgency inherent in his voice.

"Decisive and responsive as always, Keitaro." Matsura commented. "I can see your parent's trust was not misplaced. Yes, we've already notified your sisters. Shirayuki-chan here was one of the first to receive the news." He gestured at Shirayuki, before continuing. "They've…" Matsura was saying, just when the front door slid open roughly.

"Excuse me!" a pompous voice said from the other side. A tall, broad shouldered, dark haired man said as he stepped into the living room. "I have reason to believe…" he started, then stopped abruptly as he saw Shirayuki. "SHIRAYUKI-SAMA!" he cried out, striding over to where she was on Keitaro's lap.

Shirayuki suddenly woke up and cried out as she saw the man coming towards her. She quickly leapt of Keitaro's lap took cover behind Keitaro's shoulder.

"Shirayuki-sama. We've come to take you back." The man said. "We're sorry for the interruption." He gave a quick nod at everyone else in the room before turning back to Shirayuki.

"NO! Hime-chan wants to stay here with nii-sama!" Shirayuki cried out, holding onto Keitaro as if for dear life. "Hime-chan doesn't want to go back! NO!"

"So, Keitaro, are you willing to take the responsibility of being your sisters' guardian?" Matsura asked.

Shirayuki looked at her brother.

"Yes, definitely." Keitaro said, without hesitation. He could feel Shirayuki squeeze him tightly upon hearing this.

"It's all right, Higuchi." Matsura said, standing up. "Shirayuki-chan can remain here with her brother. Their parents have entrusted them to him. We should make haste to bring the other twelve here as well."

"Ah…but…Oh…very well then. I was just worried when Shirayuki-sama ran away from the boarding school after hearing the news…" Higuchi said. "All right, I'll leave Shirayuki-sama in your care then, Urashima-sama." Higuchi said, bowing slightly to Keitaro and Shirayuki. Shirayuki quietly peeked out from behind Keitaro's shoulder.

"Higuchi, please make arrangements for Shirayuki-chan's school transfer as well as sending over her personal belongings." Matsura said, placing everything back into his briefcase. "Rest assured, Keitaro. We'll take care of all the legal procedures. Now rest. We'll contact you again soon."

"But…what about my other sisters?" Keitaro asked.

"Rest assured we will notify their current caretakers as soon as possible. Four of them still remain at the Urashima residence. You could fetch them when you visit, which I'm sure you will very soon. They're really looking forwards to seeing you, Keitaro." Matsura said, smiling a small smile. He cordially shook Keitaro, Haruka, and Shirayuki's hands and offered them further condolensces, before leaving. Higuchi did the same and followed suit.

"Oba-san…." Keitaro said, after what seemed like a long moment of silence. Shirayuki was standing beside him, sniffling quietly, holding onto one of his hands for comfort.

"I don't even have the energy to take out my paper fan…." Haruka sighed. "What?"

"A lot of things are going to change around here…are you all right with that?" Keitaro asked.

"You're the owner and manager of this place…whatever you do with this place…it's up to you. And these girls are your family after all…" Haruka said. Suddenly she started shuddering. A few tears fell to the floor.

"H…Haruka-san." Keitaro was shocked by his aunt's sudden show of emotions.

"Th…they're dead…Keitaro…they're dead…" She sobbed, trying her best to hold back her tears. "They're dead…" She fell to her knees. "…it's…it's just not possible…" She sobbed. "PLEASE! Tell me it's not true…"

Keitaro too got to his knees and held his shuddering aunt and Shirayuki close. He too broke into silent tears. Shirayuki, not being able to hold it in anymore, burst out crying as well. They remained like that for a while. They made no attempt to console one another. They knew each other's pain was one beyond consolation.

* * *

"Did you hear that?" Suu asked, looking around at the shocked faces of the other tenants who were gathered around what looked like a television screen which was now showing the scene in the living room. 

"My goodness…his parents….passed away…?" Naru gasped. "And to think…we were beating him up just a moment ago…"

"…sempai…" Shinobu mumbled, tears streaming down her face.

"…" Motoko remained silent.

"So…Keitaro has a little sister?" Mitsune asked.

"From the sound of the conversation, it seems he has more than just one…at least 13." Naru murmured. "And it seems he'll have to take care of all of them…" Tears were welling up in her eyes too. "…the poor girls…losing their parents all of a sudden like that…"

"It's probably best to stay quiet about it until they tell us about it…I'm not sure exactly how much we're supposed to know, especially about this whole mysterious legacy business…" Mitsune reasoned. "12 sisters, huh? Cool parents…"

"But…but…" Shinobu mumbled.

"Guuu…do you think it's safe to go downstairs yet? I'm hungry…" Suu moaned.

* * *

"Don't worry, Shirayuki-chan…we'll go home tomorrow and see the others. For now, you must rest." Keitaro told his little sister as he carried her upstairs. "And you've got to promise me never to run away like that again." 

"demou….Hime-chan wanted to see nii-sama desu no. H…Hime-chan was afraid…when they told Hime-chan…oka-sama and oto-sama had…" She buried her face in Keitaro's shoulder. "You're never going to leave Hime-chan, are you?" She looked up at her brother's face for reassurance.

"I promise you I'll never leave you, Shirayuki-chan." Keitaro smiled gently. "But just promise you'll never run away again. If anything were to happen to you, I don't know what I'd do…"

"Hime-chan promises…as long as Hime-chan is with nii-sama, Hime-chan'll never run away." Shirayuki said.

"That's a good girl…" Keitaro patted her lovingly on the head. After having her change her clothes into one of Keitaro's old pyjamas, he tucked her into one of his futons.

"I'll have your clothes washed and ready for tomorrow." Keitaro said, standing up to leave.

"Nii-sama…" Shirayuki held onto Keitaro's trouser leg. "Please don't go…" tears were welling up in her eyes again.

Keitaro sighed and sat down again by her futon. He knew that at this moment little Shirayuki was probably very scared of being left again, having just lost her parents. He thought at length for something comforting to say before he finally said, "…say, Shirayuki-chan…do you remember that old lullaby mom used to sing us? I only remember a bit of it…"

He sang the first stanza of the song, the only part he knew by heart. It was a slow, sorrowful tune, with a gentleness that reminded them very much of their mother.

As he stopped, Shirayuki started off the second stanza. Keitaro sat listening to it for a moment until she stopped. "Sorry…I only remember the second stanza desu-no…"

"Haha…don't worry about it. Let's sing the whole thing together…" Keitaro smiled down at her.

* * *

"How was it, Keitaro?" Haruka asked as Keitaro slid his door shut behind him. 

"She's asleep. But I'm worried about the others. I really want to go check up on the girls at home…but Shirayuki seemed so exhausted. I guess it would have to wait until tomorrow." Keitaro sighed. Haruka merely nodded quietly. They both knew that life was never going to be the same again.

* * *

Morning brought forth sunshine and clear skies. The world seemed to shine a bright white as the snow glimmered under the early sunshine. 

Meanwhile, in the Hinata household, things were far from being bright.

"…That's how it is…I would have to ask for your cooperation for some time until I can move out somewhere with my sisters..." Keitaro said. A Hinata Sou group meeting was called in the living room early that morning. Keitaro had spent the best part of 30 minutes explaining what had happened the day before. It was followed by a deep silence, before Mitsune finally spoke up.

"Our deepest condolensces, Keitaro…but life's just like that. We need to move on." Mitsune said, before adding, "Why move out? There's no need. You guys can stay here."

"S…sem…sempai…" Shinobu mumbled as tears flowed down her cheeks in buckets.

"My condolences, Keitaro." Naru said, "We all feel for you. We really do. As Mitsune said, it's our duty to keep on going in their stead." Her eyes seemed to brim with tears as well. "As for your sisters, they're welcome here. We see no reason for you to move out."

"But they'll be quite a nuisance to you all…most of them are younger than 12." Keitaro said.

"And that is why you should let them stay here. How exactly are you planning on managing alone? These girls are at the stage where they require lots of love and care." Naru said, her voice full of passion.

"A…anou…Naru-sempai is right…we'll help all we can…" Shinobu said, sniffling slightly, but with a voice full of determination.

"That is true. It is the way of the samurai to help those in need." Motoko said. "And we still need to keep an eye on you and the way you bring up your sisters…."

"You can count on my newest invention! The nanny-bot!" Suu shouted, gesturing grandly at a weirdly shaped humanoid contraption that was painfully regurgitating phrases from Mary Poppins. Each of its 20 arms held what seemed to be surreal versions of ordinary nursery items such as baby bottles (torpedoes), rattles (spiky clubs), pacifiers (grenades), etc.

"Err…I think we could do without that infernal claptrap…" Mitsune said, sweat-dropping big time. It didn't occur to Keitaro at the time to ask why Suu had such an invention conveniently ready for such an occasion.

"Th…thank you…everyone…" Tears started to form at the corners of Keitaro's eyes. "I…I don't know what to say…" He sniffed, wiping his tears on the sleeve of his sweater.

"And also…we can charge you for the baby-sitting fees, can't we?" Mitsune added playfully.

"BAKA!" Naru slapped her on the head with a gigantic paper fan.

"Minna-san! Breakfast is ready desu-no!" A bright voice rang from the kitchen.

"FOOOOOOOD!" Suu leaped over her nanny-bot and bounced into the kitchen, splashing saliva all over the place.

"Breakfast? Shirayuki-chan?" Keitaro looked around, realizing his little sister wasn't in the living room.

"Your sister cooks?" Naru asked, walking towards the kitchen.

"Hmmm…it does seem that she has some knowledge of cooking…" Motoko nodded, regarding the feast splayed out across the dining table.

"I was actually going to save her introduction for after the meeting…but now will do." Keitaro said, striding over to where Shirayuki stood behind the dining table. "Everyone, this is my sister, Urashima Shirayuki-chan."

"Dozo Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu…" Shirayuki said, bowing deeply. Her pale blonde hair shone under her newly washed kitty cap. Keitaro had done his best to mend her clothes from the day before and now everything about her could only suggest adorable cuteness.

"So kawai…!" Naru, Mitsune, and Shinobu cried out.

After quick introductions along with a few cuddles and snuggles from Naru, Mitsune, Shinobu, and Suu, they all sat down to breakfast.

* * *

Shirayuki had remained quiet throughout the train trip home. She continuously glanced between her brother and the scenery outside. Keitaro could sense that she was both eager and reluctant to go home. Eager to see her sisters, reluctant to see the coffins. 

When they finally reached the front door to the large traditional Japanese style estate, they felt somewhat overwhelmed as more memories flooded through their minds. The Urashima family's head maid, the old and respectable Sasaki-san, opened the door for them.

"Haruka-chan and young master Keitaro-kun…ah…Hime-chan too…it's good that you've arrived safe and sound…" She said kindly, ushering them inside. Shirayuki immediately ran up to the old woman and gave her a tight hug around the waist.

"Hime-chan…it's so good to see you again…after such a long time…" Sasaki-san smiled warmly as she got down returned Shirayuki-chan's hug.

"Hime-chan missed Sasaki-san!" Shirayuki said, rubbing her face into Sasaki-san's apron.

"Sasaki-san…" Haruka started.

"Haruka-chan…Haruka-chan…" Sasaki-san laughed a quiet little laugh as she gave Haruka a tight hug. "It's so good to see you again…how many times do I have to tell you to stop smoking that infernal thing?" She flicked Haruka's cigarette out with a motherly smile.

"I'm…I'm sorry…Sasaki-san…" Haruka blushed slightly out of shame. Keitaro was always amazed at how Sasaki-san could treat everyone like a child, moreover, her own children.

"Well…we've got a lot to do. But first of all, Keitaro-kun…God bless these old eyes that I could see you again…you must come and see your parents." Sasaki-san gave Keitaro a motherly hug and led him by the arm. "Come, you too Haruka-chan. And Hime-chan, come, take my hand. Yes, that's a good girl."

There were many people standing around the great snow covered courtyard, all dressed in black. All were either chatting in low, hushed tones, or looking thoughtful.

They were led to the main pavilion. Inside were two identical coffins, with altars bearing the photographs of the deceased at their feet.

"Young master and mistress, your sister, son, and daughter have come to pay their respects." Sasaki-san called out.

Keitaro was suddenly overwhelmed by emotions. Shirayuki-chan held onto Keitaro and burst into tears. Haruka stood silent for some moments before paying her respects.

Keitaro squared his shoulders and blinked away his tears as he walked up to the altars. "Oka-sama, Oto-sama, I, Urashima Keitaro…your son, promise that I shall carry on the responsibilities of being the head of the Urashima family. And I promise you that I will do my very best to care for my sisters, even at the cost of my life. Please, grant me the strength to do so. Watch over them and protect them, always." He bowed deeply. "Thank you…Oka-sama…Oto-sama…thank you…" his tears fell heavily on the wooden floor. They sealed his promise, as blood on paper.

* * *

"Hinako-chan, Hinata-chan, Kaho-chan, and Karen-chan have been waiting for your arrival." Sasaki-san said, leading them down one of the side pavilions. "Aria-chan will be arriving later this afternoon. Chiikage-chan had promised she will arrive today, but has yet to contact us on the details. Kanako-chan arrived a few hours ago along with Hina-sama. Matsura-sama has notified me that she's the only one that won't be moving in with you as Hina-sama insisted that she stay with her for a while longer. As for the other six, they have yet to notify us of their arrival." 

"How are Hinako-chan, Hinata-chan, Kaho-chan, and Karen-chan?" Keitaro asked, feeling deeply concerned about his youngest sisters.

"…about Hinako-chan and Hinata-chan…I'm sad to say that they're not dealing with it very well….they've refused to eat since yesterday…that's why I was hoping your arrival would somehow help…" Sasaki-san said. "As for Kaho-chan and Karen-chan, they're doing their best to cope with the situation…but there is a limit to how much a little girl could take…"

"Grandma! The twins have gone missing!" A young, pink-haired, twin-ponytailed girl in a maid outfit shouted as she raced up towards them from behind.

"What?" Sasaki-san turned around in alarm. "Hinako-chan and Hinata-chan! Gone missing! Makie, weren't you supposed to watch them!"

"I'm so sorry, Grandma. They had locked themselves in their room, and when we finally got it open, they were gone." Makie explained in a panic.

"Notify all the maids as well as security. Look everywhere, inside and outside the house. My…these poor kids…" Sasaki-san shook her head. "They're only 4 years old…and yet…"

"Sasaki-san, please allow me to join the search." Keitaro said. "Shirayuki-chan, stay with Sasaki-san and Haruka-san."

"But…but Hime-chan…" Shirayuki started.

"Please, Shirayuki-chan. Stay with the others. Don't worry, I'll get Hinako-chan and Hinata-chan back." Keitaro smiled, before dashing away. "Sasaki-san! Haruka-san! Please take care of Shirayuki-chan for me!"

"Well, well…he has grown up, hasn't he?" Sasaki-san chuckled. "It felt as if it was just yesterday we scolded him for wetting his futon."

"Nii-sama wet his futon?" Shirayuki asked in amazement. "That doesn't sound like Nii-sama…"

"The only one who knows Keitaro better than his parents would be me, Hime-chan." Sasaki-san laughed her motherly laugh. "Now, let's go and see if we can beat your brother to finding Hinata-chan and Hinako-chan."

* * *

"Hinata-tan…Hina-tan doesn't think Hina-tan can go on any longer…" A small, light-brown haired girl moaned. She was hugging a small bright orange barrette close to her chest. Her matching bright orange dress and white vest were slightly soiled by use. 

"Ssshh…Hinako-chan. We've got to get oka-chama and oto-chama back." The girl beside her whispered back. She was identical to the girl beside her in every way, except for the colour of her clothing which was light pink. They were both kneeling in a small, dark, wooden crawl space.

"But…but…Hinata-tan, Sasaki-tan said they're already gone…" Hinako whispered back worriedly.

"That's a lie, Hinako-chan. Oka-chama and Oto-chama promised us they'll never leave us. And Oka-chama and Oto-chama never breaks promises." Hinata whispered urgently. "Now we have to go find Oka-chama and Oto-chama."

"What are you children doing?" a voice asked from the other side of the crawl space's wall. The twins jumped out of fright. "It's not nice to worry everyone else."

"Hinata-tan…that's Onii-tama!" Hinako whispered excitedly.

"Onii-chama? Is that you?" Hinata whispered.

"Yes, it's Onii-sama." Keitaro said from the other side of the wall. He sighed and shook his head. The Urashimas always had a penchant for secret passages and hidden rooms. But they always made them so easy to find, as if they were nothing but a joke. He and his sisters used to roam each and every passageway looking for hidden treasure. "So, do you feel like coming out yet?"

"Onii-chama! You have to help us find Oka-chama and Oto-chama!" Hinata whispered urgently. "Everyone said they're gone, but Hinata-chan and Hinako-chan knows they promised never to leave us!"

Keitaro sighed again and sat down with his back to the wall. He thought over what he would say. He knew it was something extremely difficult to explain as he himself was still partly in denial. "Well…listen, Hinata-chan, Hinako-chan…Oka-sama and Oto-sama have gone. You remember the time they left to see Grandma Hina in that far away place?"

"Y…yes…" two scared voices said from across the wooden wall.

"Well, this time, it's just like that. But do you remember when Oka-sama and Oto-sama appeared on the TV? And how we could talk to them just like they were in front of us?" Keitaro asked, referring to the tele-conference his parents set up just to talk to their children.

"Yes…" the two voices answered again, this time with more hope.

"Well…this time, it's kind of like that. Oka-sama and Oto-sama are gone, but they can still see you through their TV." Keitaro sighed, and placed his head in his hands.

"…R…really?" Hinako asked.

"B…but…can Hinata-chan and Hinako-chan talk to them through the TV again? Just like that time?" Hinata asked.

"No…not this time. They can see you, but you can't see them." Keitaro folded up his legs to his chest and started to thump his head on his knees. "But they'll always be watching you too…so if you do things that make them sad, like not eating, they would cry."

"…" there was a heavy silence from the other side of the wall. It was finally broken by Hinako-chan's sobs. "Oka-tama…Oto-tama…" she wailed.

"Ssshh, Hinako-tan, you can't cry…cause…cause…if you c…cry…sob…oka-chama…and…sob…oto-chama…would get…sob…sad too…" Hinata managed, before she too started to cry.

After a few moments Keitaro slowly got up and opened up a nearby trapdoor and peeked in. He was immediately pounced on by the twins.

"Onii-chama…you're never going to leave Hinata-chan and Hinako-chan…are you?" Hinata cried, glomping onto him.

"Yes. You have to promise us!" Hinako wailed, holding onto him as tightly as possible, as if he might evaporate if she didn't.

"Yes, yes, I promise. I'll never leave you, either of you." Keitaro said, hugging them both, trying to comfort them as much as possible. "I promise."

* * *

"There he is…and he's found them!" Sasaki-san cried out with joy when Keitaro came into the kitchen carrying the twins, one on either side. "Where have you two girls been?" 

"It's a long story…but I think they've decided that they're really hungry." Keitaro smiled down at the two. As if on cue, their stomachs rumbled in unison at that very moment. "See?"

"Serves you right for starving yourselves. Makie-chan, as much food as you can fit onto two plates! Now!" Sasaki-san half laughed as she ordered her granddaughter around.

"Hai! Wakarimashita!" Makie-chan smiled and saluted, before getting busy with the food.

"Shirayuki-neetan/neechan!" Hinata and Hinako cried upon seeing Shirayuki. They both leapt down from Keitaro and ran over to their older sister to exchange hugs.

"Well then…so you are big brother material." Sasaki-san chuckled, slapping Keitaro on the back.

"I'm still trying, Sasaki-san…I'm still trying…" Keitaro sighed. "Can you keep an eye on those two? I still have to go and meet Kanako-chan, Kaho-chan and Karen-chan."

"Yes, you go do that. I'll hold the fort here." Sasaki smiled. "Get going, you've got a lot of big-brothering to do!" She pushed him out of the kitchen and winked at him.

"Thanks, Sasaki-san." Keitaro said, thankful for the encouragement. He started off towards the courtyard, trying to think of places where Kanako and Karen might be. As for Kaho, he knew she'd be somewhere around the great oak in the backyard.

And sure enough, when he got there, he found her, sitting up on one of the boughs, with her pet birds and hamster on her shoulders and arms, a perfect picture of some nature Goddess.

A gentle wind blew by, picking up her short, bandanna-bound light-brown hair. She looked around as if realizing something and saw him. He smiled up at her. She smiled back and waved, her bright brown dress rustling in the air.

Keitaro wasn't expecting her to say anything. He knew she won't. Not because she doesn't want to, but because she can't.

* * *

To be continued… 

More of the 12 sisters to come in the next chapter of 'Sister Princess'

For character profiles, sneak peaks, previews of upcoming chapters, for Sister Princess as well as my other works, feel free to visit our Fan Works Forum, the Unlimited Fan Works, accessible through the homepage link on our profile. Thank You.


	2. chp2: Loving is Caring

Sister Princess Chp2: Loving is Caring

By Zenithos

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina. I don't own Sister Princess either. I completely respect their creators and in no way seek to discredit them for their work. A number of Sister Princess characters are featured in this story, but they are completely OCs. This fan fiction was written completely for personal enjoyment, not for profit.

This story is completely spoiler-free.

I must first of all thank everyone for their supportive reviews. They've helped motivate me to complete this second chapter way ahead of schedule. I'm still an inexperienced writer, so every bit of feedback and support, even flames, is extremely helpful. Thanks everyone!

Proof-read by Beyond the Bounds

Notes: There've been quite a few questions regarding the characters in the story, particularly Hinata-chan. Most of the characters featured here are somewhat loosely based on the Sister Princess characters, but they are almost entirely OCs. Hinata-chan doesn't exist in the Sister Princess Kanon but I added her in place of Minakami Mamoru (if you've read Beyond The Bound's other stories, you'd notice that the character Hinata shows up quite frequently). And yes, Kaho-chan wasn't mute in the original Sister Princess, but I decided to make her so in this story. Explanations will come, surely. Further explanations about the OCs showing up in this chapter will be available at the end of the chapter.

* * *

"Mitsune, have you checked the gas?" Naru shouted as she came down the stairs, a duffel bag in one hand. She had taken care to choose the most formal of her black skirts and coats. 

"Yeah! We're all set! Let's get going!" Mitsune shouted back from the direction of the front door. She too was dressed in black, though, as Naru pointed out, perhaps a tad bit too casual.

"Motoko! Please check the gas again!" Naru shouted as she ran to check all the doors and windows.

"HEY! Is it just me or do I sense a complete lack of confidence in me?" Mitsune shouted.

"The gas seems to have been turned off. But someone had left the refrigerator door open…and all the beer has vanished…" Motoko said, appearing from the direction of the kitchen, stopping just a moment to raise an eyebrow at Mitsune and her bulging traveling bag. She hadn't dressed up for the occasion, arguing that a hakama and gi was as formal as anything could get.

"Doesn't hurt to be prepared!" Mitsune laughed.

"We're going to a funeral…where does beer fit into that?" Motoko asked with a reproachful frown.

"Anou…The boiler's turned off. Everything else is set." Shinobu reported.

"All right. Everything seems to be in order. Let's go." Naru said, locking the front door.

"Wait…I think we forgot something…but what exactly?" Mitsune asked.

"Nothing really comes to mind…but now that you mention it…it does feel like we've forgotten something…" Naru said.

"I can't place it either…" Motoko said, frowning.

"Anou…was it the television?" Shinobu asked.

"No…we checked that….oh well, I'm sure it'll be fine. We'll only be gone for a few days anyway." Mitsune said, shrugging. Everyone else nodded in agreement before descending the stairs.

Meanwhile, upstairs, in a room marked 301, a certain sleepy someone rolled off a particularly high bough of a tree and into a radioactive waste basket. A half packed bag full of assorted mad-scientist gear (things ranging from floss to photon beams) dangled freely from the bough for a moment before joining its owner in the waste basket.

* * *

"So…how are you doing, Kaho-chan?" Keitaro asked as he heaved himself up onto the bough of the tree beside Kaho. 

Kaho smiled serenely for a brief moment. Tears suddenly started to flow out of her eyes and she couldn't help but give a quiet little sob before finally giving into her emotions. She held onto her brother for support as surges of tears poured out.

Keitaro, at a loss for words to say, pulled Kaho into a tight embrace. He knew Kaho was the type to try and ease everyone's burden by keeping her troubles to herself. She had probably kept the pain of losing her parents all to herself all this time.

"I'm sorry Kaho-chan…I once promised I'd be there for you whenever you needed me…I realize that I may have failed you…but I will promise again now that I will never let you cry alone again." Keitaro said, suddenly regretting having ever left home. If only he hadn't left.

Kaho peeked up at her big brother and smiled through her tears, shaking her head to tell him not to worry. She tightened her hold around him and pressed her head against his chest.

After a few moments she sat up straight and smiled up at him again, wiping away her tears. She leaped down from the bough, landed softly in the snow, and gestured for him to follow. The birds flapped down to her and gently alighted on her head.

As soon as he leapt down, Kaho hooked her arm through his and pulled him towards the back of one of the side pavilions. There was a small greenhouse there. Frost hung on the outside and bright, clear dew hung on the inside. Kaho led him in and gestured all around the greenhouse.

"Wow…you took care of all the flowers we grew together…that's amazing" Keitaro beamed down at his younger sister. Kaho blushed slightly as she smiled back, overjoyed by Keitaro's simple praise. Each and every one of the flowers had been moved from their original flower beds in the courtyard into neat little pots in the greenhouse. He could see that they've been cared for greatly.

She took his hand again and led him towards the back of the greenhouse where one pot stood on its own. It was full of soil. But apparently nothing had been planted. Kaho rummaged through a small gardening box on one side and returned with a packet of morning glory seeds.

"Oh…aren't these the…" Keitaro suddenly remembered the day he left home. Kaho had been trying to grow morning glories for quite a while, but each attempt ended with failure. That day, just as he was about to leave, Keitaro found her standing by one of her most recent failures. He had promised her that he'd help her grow them when he came back.

"Oh…right…the promise…" Keitaro took hold of the packet of seeds. "Well, from now on, we'll grow everything together, all right?" together they shook a few seeds out of the packet and into the waiting pot of soil. Kaho beamed up at his brother as she watered the seeds.

"What happened to this one?" Keitaro asked, noticing a pot on one side of the greenhouse. The flowers in it were wilting and dying. Kaho sadly shook her head as tears once again brimmed in her eyes.

"Is that…Oka-sama's?" Keitaro asked. Kaho nodded slightly. She gestured all around the greenhouse before shaking her head at the forlorn plant.

"The last one, huh?" Keitaro asked. Kaho nodded again. He gave the plant a quick inspection before giving a determined nod. "Well then, we've got to do our best to save it. Kaho! Watering can!" He gave a cheerful order as he held out his hand.

Kaho looked up at him in surprise, wiped off her tears, and nodded with newfound determination and hope. She quickly picked up her prized watering can and handed it to him.

"Ok, sheers!" Keitaro said, holding his hand out again. "And fertilizer!"

The greenhouse was suddenly buzzing with activity again.

* * *

"Ok…we have about 10 minutes until the train leaves. Let's hurry." Naru said as the group ran down Tokyo central station. 

"Hey…that kid looks lost…" Mitsune said, gesturing over at a young brunette wearing a traveling cape, a red vest, a black button shirt, and a long red skirt. She was going from person to person, holding out a piece of paper and a map. A toucan that was perching on her shoulder was looking around, seemingly mildly interested with everything it's seeing.

"Anou…maybe we should help?" Shinobu suggested.

"Perhaps. I'll go." Motoko offered and approached the girl. The others watched as a baffled expression dawned on her face before she started mumbling and stammering incoherent babble. She then resorted to sign language before leading the child over to the rest of the group.

"I can't speak English…" She admitted, blushing red from embarrassment. "You speak to her, Naru-sempai."

"Err…how…can…I…help…you?" Naru gurgled in classroom English, putting on her best smile. Just pronouncing the 'L' in 'help' drained quite a lot of her stamina. The child's large, cute eyes and helpless and forlorn expression were testing her kawai-meter to the limit. She found herself barely able to restrain herself from hugging the girl.

"Um…I'm not very familiar with Japan. I'm on my way to Ike, but I'm not sure which train I should take." The girl explained in a rich London accent

"Err…" Naru's mind automatically analyzed and broke down the girl's sentence into shorter, more manageable fragments. "Ah…Ike…" She nodded with comprehension to buy some time to arrange her next sentence in her mind. The toucan was staring at her, however politely.

"Anou…if she's going to Ike, we could take her with us." Shinobu suggested. "It's exactly where Keitaro-sempai's home is."

"We…are…going to Ike. You can…come with us…" Naru managed. She found the toucan's stare rather unsettling.

"Oh, really?" The girl brightened up considerably. "Thanks. I thought I would miss the train for sure."

"What did she say?" Motoko asked.

"She said…umm…yes, she'll come." Shinobu tried her best to translate.

"Squawk…Checky…checky…squawk" The toucan squawked.

"That bird…talks…" Mitsune whispered.

"It's a toucan…it's not supposed to be able to talk…" Shinobu whispered back.

"Ok. Follow us." Naru said in a slightly more relaxed tone, though it still took a lot of effort to pronounce the 'L's.

"How trusting…" Motoko commented.

"Well, she does seem young. Probably only 7 or 8." Mitsune said.

"I'm 10 years old." The girl spoke up again.

"Huh…what? Did she just say she's 10? She understands what I'm saying?" Mitsune looked at her in surprise.

"I understand a bit of Japanese. Unfortunately, I'm unable to speak it…yet." She explained.

"What is your name?" Naru asked. This was one phrase she knew by heart.

"My name's Urashima Mizuki." The girl answered. Everyone went silent.

"D…did she just say…Urashima?" Motoko asked in disbelief.

"Yes…my name's Urashima Mizuki. Is something amiss?" Mizuki asked. She apparently understood what Motoko just said as well.

"Ah…err…your brother…Urashima Keitaro?" Shinobu stammered in English, taking the initiative.

"Why…yes. You know my brother?" Mizuki asked, a look of surprise on her face.

"Squawk…Ani-chama…squawk…"

"The world works in such wondrous ways…" Motoko sighed. Everyone nodded in agreement. Mizuki looked around in confusion. The toucan turned its head 180 degrees to the right before doing the same to the left. In its little brain it was quite amazed at how the view was exactly the same either way it looked.

* * *

The kitchen was buzzing quietly with activity when Keitaro and Kaho entered. Even though it was a funeral reception, people still needed food. The Urashima family's army of maids were efficiently seeing to it that there was no shortage to it. 

At one of the kitchen tables sat Hinako and Hinata, seemingly stuffed to the brim. Hinako gave a cute little burp before calling her brother over. "Onii-chama!" She called out as she got down from the chair and ran to her brother. Hinata trailed close behind.

"Kaho-chan!" Shirayuki cried out as she ran to greet Kaho. A quick exchange of sibling hugs later Shirayuki was relating to Kaho how Keitaro had saved her the day before. Hinako and Hinata too joined to listen, though from the looks of it they had heard the story already.

"So…" Keitaro wandered over to where Sasaki-san and Haruka stood, watching the cute little scene.

"Grandma Hina and Kanako wandered in a few moments ago. They, Kanako in particular, were looking for you." Haruka said. "It would be wise not to keep them waiting."

"The guests are still arriving, one after another. We should be hearing from Aria-chan and Chiikage-chan soon. Rinrin-chan also called a few moments ago and said she's on the way…I couldn't make out much from her call though because it was so noisy on her end." Sasaki-san reported. "As for Sakuya-chan, Mizuki-chan and Keiko-chan, we have yet to receive news today. Mizuki-chan has quite a long way to go from London…and Keiko-chan was still in Stuttgart last I heard from her. Sakuya-chan was still waiting in the airport in Quebec for a seat when she phoned last night."

"Well…it's good to hear that most of them are en route…" Keitaro said. He couldn't help but feel worried about the others. "Say…Sasaki-san…would you mind helping the girls settle down in Hinata Sou? It would mean a lot to me."

"Me? Oh, no, no…" Sasaki-san chuckled. "Oh, but don't look crestfallen like that." She laughed, noticing Keitaro's disappointed look. "It's not that I don't want to. I love these children dearly. Only, these old bones aren't any good for traveling any more, you see. Not to mention that old flight of stairs up the hill…ah…I'd give anything for the strength to climb them again just to see the view. But not in what's left of this lifetime." She chuckled good-naturedly.

"I could, however, recommend someone else. She's still young, but she can get the job done." Sasaki-san added.

"Who exactly, Sasaki-san?" Keitaro asked.

"Why, my granddaughter, off course." Sasaki-san said. "Makie-chan!"

"Ah…yes, grandma?" Makie replied, blushing slightly as her eyes made contact with Keitaro's. She quickly looked away towards her grandma.

"Urashima-sama needs someone to help him get the girls settled into their new home. I recommended you, and since it's the girls we're talking about, I wouldn't recommend just anyone. Do you think you're up to it?" Sasaki-san asked her with a standard grandma-inquisitorial stare.

"Yes, ma'am!" Makie stood to attention, withering under the stare.

"Thanks a lot, Sasaki-san." Keitaro said, addressing Makie. "You don't know how much this means to me."

"Err…it's my pleasure, Urashima-sama." Makie bowed clumsily. "And please call me Makie."

"Likewise. Please call me Keitaro." Keitaro bowed in a similarly clumsy way.

"Yes, Keitaro-sama." Makie bowed again, just as clumsily as before.

"Ok…when you kids are done goofing around, we could turn our attention to more pressing matters." Sasaki-san chuckled. "Makie, go and make sure the guests staying overnight have everything they need. Keitaro, your grandma was looking for you. If I were you, I'd make all due haste."

"Hai, wakarimashita!" Both Keitaro and Makie said, before running into one another, apologizing quickly and bumping their heads on one another as they bowed, and running in opposite directions out of the room. They returned a few seconds later, realizing they had gone the wrong way, and ran off again in opposite directions.

"Young people…" Sasaki-san sighed, smiling. "You've just got to love them…"

"Agreed." Haruka nodded.

"You're not that old yet. Quit acting that way. And stop smoking that rancid thing." Sasaki-san pulled an unlit cigarette from Haruka's mouth and chucked it in the bin.

"Sasaki-san…" Haruka moaned.

* * *

Keitaro skirted the outer walls of the residence as he made his way towards the main pavilion where he thought Grandma Hina would be. On his way he came past a neat building set in the wall. "The sweetshop…I guess it's closed now…" He sighed as he stopped for a moment to regard it. The front of the store opened up towards the street on the other side of the wall. This was what the Urashima family was best known for…at least locally. 

He decided to take a quick peek inside. It was, after all, a storehouse of memories. As he slid the door open the faint aroma of cooked bread wafted out. "That's…odd…" He wondered out loud as he walked in. It was not as cold as it was outside but it wasn't very warm either.

As he walked through the rear kitchen memories started to flood back into his mind. He remembered the way he and his sisters used to come in and nick bread and sweets whenever they had the chance and how their father used to playfully scold them for it afterwards. He remembered how his mother used to let him have the first bread out of the oven. He even remembered the taste of every single bread topping available in the store, and it was quite a variety.

He heard a faint scuffle of activity just around the corner. The warmth seemed to radiate from the same direction, from the main oven. He peeked around the corner and found, to his surprise, a small soot covered apron-clad figure pulling out a batch of freshly baked bread from the store's large brick oven. Her long brown hair was tucked under a cute little traditional Japanese baker's hat. A small cat was hanging onto her shoulder. It mewed as soon as it noticed Keitaro and leapt off the girl's shoulder and onto Keitaro's head.

The girl looked up in surprise. Her face suddenly lit up with a bright smile. The cat mewed a greeting as it curled up on Keitaro's head.

"Onii-chan!" She cried happily as she put down the batch of bread on a counter and ran to give him a tight hug. "Karen-chan missed you, Onii-chan!" She cried as she snuggled into his chest.

"Karen-chan…I missed you too." Keitaro said, returning the hug. "but…what have you been doing here, all by yourself?"

"Karen-chan's baking bread." Karen answered, as a matter-of-factly.

"Yes…but why? Shouldn't you be inside with the others?" Keitaro asked. Then he suddenly realized that Karen wasn't wearing a coat. "You should've at least turned on the heaters. You'll catch a cold like that." He took off his coat and wrapped it around Karen.

"Thanks, Onii-chan. But the fire here's warm enough." She said. She still pulled Keitaro's coat tightly around herself though, mostly for the comfort it gave her. Keitaro picked up the kitten from his head and stroked it gently, eliciting a purr or two of appreciation from it. "Vanilla still likes onii-chan." Karen smiled, referring to the kitten.

"The sweetshop's supposed to be closed, isn't it?" Keitaro asked. "There's really no need for you to be out here baking."

"Karen-chan knows…it's just that…" Karen said. "Karen-chan…Karen-chan doesn't know what else to do…" She looked around the old kitchen sadly. "It used to be so busy in here…but now…" Her voice trembled. "If Karen-chan doesn't keep busy then…Karen-chan starts remembering…Karen-chan doesn't want to remember." Noticing that its mistress was in distress, the small kitten leapt out of Keitaro's hand and onto Karen's shoulder and proceeded to snuggle against her.

"Karen-chan…" Keitaro said. "There is nothing wrong with remembering. Yes…we might cry when we realize that all that is left are these memories…but that's why we mustn't try to forget them. Because they are all we have left of our parents…that's why we must never forget. Our parents will always live on in our memories." Keitaro said.

"O…Onii-chan…." Tears started to roll down her cheeks. "Karen-chan…doesn't want to forget Oka-sama and Oto-sama…but…remembering them hurts so much…I love Oka-sama and Oto-sama…but…but…"

"There's no need to keep all the pain to yourself…I'm here. Your sisters are here. And we'll always be together from this day on. So whenever you feel it's too painful to remember them, keep on remembering them, and share the pain with us. We'll always be there for you." Keitaro said, pulling Karen into a tight hug. Vanilla leapt out of the way onto a nearby counter.

"O…Onii-chan…" Karen-chan sobbed. "Karen-chan promises….Karen-chan won't…won't forget…but….O…Onii-chan…please…please stay with me…" She hiccupped. "Please…please…"

"I promise you, Karen-chan…I'll never leave you ever again…" Keitaro said, gently caressing her head. "I promise."

* * *

"Hahahahahaha! So you thought you could leave Suu-chan behind! Well! I'll show them!" A maniacal figure laughed a maniacal laugh as she steered a large metal turtle-like contraption across the skies of Tokyo. 

"Well…altitude's ok. Wind speed's ok. Fuel's ok…looks like it's going to a smooth maiden flight for my Mecha Tama Mk-IV prototype!" Suu laughed happily as she kicked back.

"Myuuu?" A muffled sound came from inside Suu's traveling bag.

"Myuuu?" Suu asked herself, before opening the bag. A big, evil grin spread across her face, shedding drool into the wind. "Aha….an inflight meal…"

"Myuu…" The small turtle sweat-dropped big time as it did it's best to look inconspicuous amongst the grenades and nukes.

"ITADAKIMASU!" Suu shouted. What ensued was a game of cat and mouse…or rather, hungry Mol-Molian and turtle. A sudden unexpected coup de grace from Tama somehow knocked Suu across the Mecha Tama Mk-IV and into the main controls, sending the less than air-worthy craft into a series of loops and pitches.

"I'll get you for that!" Suu shouted, taking out a positron cannon with a huge nuclear hazard sign printed on one side alongside a huge heart symbol (note: this is the internationally agreed symbol for insanity).

She was completely oblivious to the fact that the computer had started issuing proximity warning signals. A large yellow blip had shown up on the computer's radar and was on a collision course with the huge amphibian monstrosity.

The large unidentified flying object (otherwise known as a UFO, but if one should label it as such, the image of saucers and other eating utensils come to mind, which is why the author decided to just use the unabbreviated name) suddenly loomed up, and sure enough, it crashed into the Mecha-Tama Mk-IV.

"Nyaaaaaaaaaaa! ANIKIIIIIIIIII!" A cute little voice cried out from the direction of the other flying object which spiraled off into the air.

"EAT THIS!" Suu shouted, aiming the positron cannon at Tama. Tama immediately retracted into his shell just as the positron beam lanced out at him. The shell completely reflected the beam shot efficiently, with no energy loss, straight off into the sky.

"Wow…" Suu cooed as she watched the beam arc into the sky before meeting with the unfortunate flying object. It would be nice to mention at this point that the flying object had the shape of a giant dragon-fly. But that was history now and it was just said to illustrate how equally 'creative' the creator of the late dragonfly was to the person who just shot it down.

It might also be worth mentioning that the one that was piloting the dragonfly was also its creator. She…indeed she was a she, though a very small she…was now in freefall amongst the flaming debris of her late creation. Also, she had fainted. And it would be supremely nice to mention that she was a short-haired brunette who had a pair of goggles strapped as a head accessory, along with what could pass as a brown dress and a matching brown coat or otherwise as pilot gear. But these details would soon prove superfluous once she made contact with the ground.

"Oooo…nice fireworks…" Suu commented as she shielded her eyes against the glare of the explosion. "Now…where's lunch? Unyu?" She looked around just in time to see a radio tower loom out of nowhere, right in front of her. "Oh…"

* * *

"Are you sure you're ok?" Keitaro asked Karen as they walked through the courtyard. 

"Yes, Karen-chan's fine." Karen smiled up at her brother. "As long as Onii-chan's with Karen-chan, Karen-chan'll be fine."

The sound of a distant explosion suddenly reached their ears. "what?" Keitaro looked up at the sky. A number of fiery dots were thundering through the sky. "What…is…oh no…" He muttered as a large flaming metal wreckage came flaming down out of the sky straight at them. "WATCH OUT!" He pulled Karen-chan and threw her and himself out of the way, making sure to shield her from harm with his body.

The flaming wreckage slammed and exploded into a fiery fireball behind them. A few debris landed all around them as the commotion subsided.

"What…on…earth?" Keitaro looked around at the flaming wreckage then up at the sky in anticipation of more flaming meteors. Instead his heart skipped a beat as he saw a small figure in free fall above them. "That…can't be…"

He got up and ran as fast as he can towards the falling figure. He exerted every bit of energy he had to pump his legs as fast as he could. 'Was there enough time?', he thought. No, there wasn't. His breathing came in short, painful, strenuous pulls as he tried to double his speed.

He leapt.

He stretched out his hands.

The figure fell…

Straight into his arms…

Keitaro pulled the figure close towards himself and turned his body around to break the fall with his back.

He crashed down into the snow, spraying snow in all directions. "Ooof…that was a close one…" Keitaro let out a breath of relief.

"ONII-CHAN!" A voice shouted out. Keitaro looked up and realized one last bit of flaming wreckage was heading straight at him. "Aghhh…no where left to run…" he thought.

"URASHIMA-RYU! KAZE NO GAN!"

The flaming debris suddenly crumpled as if crashed into by a speeding express train before flinging off into another part of the courtyard. Keitaro, who had half turned his body to shield the figure now under him, looked up.

The snow seemed to have been swept upwards in a wide semi-circle. In the centre of the semi-circle was Karen, slumped on all fours, heaving as if she had just ran a mile.

"K…Karen-chan…" Keitaro gasped. A faint moan reached his ears. He looked down at the girl he had just caught. "…Rinrin-chan!" He was, admittedly, quite surprised to find one of his sisters having fallen out of the sky, but there were more pressing matters at hand. He checked her limbs gently for any injuries before opening an eyelid to check for concussions. "Wait a moment, Karen-chan…I'll be right there."

Satisfied that there were no serious injuries, Keitaro scooped up Rinrin and ran over to Karen. "Karen-chan…what happened? That…that technique...did you just use that technique?"

"…haha…it turned out harder to use without a medium…" Karen chuckled, looking up at her brother while clutching her fist. "Are you all right, Onii-chan?"

"What do you mean, am I all right? That's my question." Keitaro asked in a panic. "Are you all right?"

"Daijoubu-desu…" Karen said, her breathing slowly returning to normal. Everyone in the compound was gathering around the accident site, all murmuring in panic.

"…well, you saved me and Rinrin-chan, Karen-chan…and I must thank you for that…" Keitaro heaved a sigh of relief. "Come on…I'm still going to have you checked for injuries."

"But…Onii-chan…Karen-chan's fine…" She protested, before Keitaro scooped her up into one arm.

"No time to waste…let's get going." Keitaro said.

"Onii-chama!" "Onii-tama!" "Nii-sama!" Three different variations of 'onii-sama' were called out from amongst the crowd.

"Keitaro-kun! What happened!" Sasaki-san asked, hurrying towards them, with Haruka and four of his sisters following close behind.

"Rinrin!" Haruka gasped as she approached.

"Rinrin-neechama/neetama! Karen-neechama/neetama! Onii-chama/tama!" Hinako and Hinata cried, clustering around Keitaro.

"Nii-sama, is Rinrin-neesama and Karen-chan all right? Are you all right?" Shirayuki asked with concern.

"What on earth happened here?" A sharp voice demanded. "Keitaro-kun!"

Keitaro looked around and spotted Grandma Hina approaching them from another direction. Behind her, keeping a steady pace with Grandma Hina, was Kanako, looking worried.

"Keitaro-kun! What happened? Was anyone injured?" Grandma Hina asked with concern. "Rinrin-chan, Karen-chan, what happened to them?"

"It was probably some kind of accident….but knowing Rinrin-chan, it must've been one of her flying machines again." Keitaro said. "I'll explain later. Now I need a doctor and perhaps an ambulance, fast."

* * *

"But it's quite a coincidence…that you are all tenants living in Hinata Sou…and that you are all traveling to attend the funeral." Mizuki said. 

"Checky! Squawk! Ani-chama! Squawk!" The toucan squawked from its perch on Mizuki's shoulder.

"That's quite a lively toucan…." Shinobu commented in Japanese, keeping her Japanese as simple as possible. Mizuki turned this over in her head a few times, separated out the individual words, before translating it word for word. Mizuki and the others have come to an agreement that the rest of the group could talk to her in plain, simple Japanese, which she would try and understand.

"Ah…forgive my manners. I forgot to introduce him to you. His name's Wataru. Say hello Wataru." Mizuki said.

"Squawk! Checky!" the toucan squawked. It had been doing so all throughout the trip. It was starting to get on Naru's nerves.

"That's all it says though…" Mizuki explained.

"Toucans aren't even supposed to be able to talk…" Motoko thought.

"But that's still quite amazing for a bird. In fact, it's the first time I've ever seen anyone having a toucan as a pet…" Mitsune said.

"He was a gift from Ani-chama. It was to keep me company while I was in Sheffield." Mizuki explained in English, stroking the toucan. "Ani-chama saved Wataru from the local zoo when he was about to die of some kind of bird disease."

"Hmm…so Keitaro has such a side to him…I never would've guessed…" Naru thought.

"Anou…Did something just explode over there?" Shinobu asked, pointing out of the window of the train.

"It seems so…but what exactly could explode in midair above peaceful Tokyo?" Naru asked. Mitsune suddenly gasped.

"Is something the matter, Konno-san?" Mizuki asked in English. The flaming fireball in the sky outside the window spitted out a number of flaming debris. One particular debris seemed to be _flailing_.

"Checky! Checky! Squawk!" The Toucan squawked.

"Err…I think we left someone at home…" Mitsune answered.

"You left someone at home? Who?" Mizuki asked.

"Someone? Oh…no…" Motoko mumbled.

"That explosion just now…?" Naru asked, half to herself. It was partly rhetoric. Everyone knew the answer.

"It must've been…" Mitsune sighed.

A sharp metallic clunk sounded in the carriage ceiling above them.

A face suddenly rolled down across the window from above.

"There she is…." Mitsune sighed, pointing out of the window at the slightly singed if otherwise unharmed dark skinned figure dangling from the roof of the carriage.

"Oh dear…" Mizuki gasped as Motoko, Mitsune, and Naru did their best to open the carriage window just wide enough to let Suu in.

"Extra passengers, ma'am?" A voice asked.

"Yes…I guess, just one." Naru answered, looking around at the smartly dressed conductor. "Err…do I know you?"

"Akh…am I…that forgettable?" The conductor's jaw dropped in shock.

"He does seem familiar…yes, I'm sure I've seen you before…" Mitsune said.

"Hey, Haitani, what's holding you up?" A shorter, squatter conductor came up and tapped the taller one on the back. "Ah…it's the girls from that place Keitaro lives. What's up?" He asked.

"Oh yeah, the two comic relief side characters…" Mitsune said, punching the palm of her hand.

"IT'S SHIRAI AND HAITANI!" The two conductors shouted.

"Turtle….turtle…" Suu moaned, her eyes spinning.

"Turtle?" Shinobu asked.

"Myuuuu…" Tama popped out of the bag slung around Suu's shoulder.

"TURTLE!" Motoko screamed.

"Excuse me…I think I'm lost…" Mizuki said.

* * *

"…is your hand all right, Karen-chan?" Keitaro asked with concern. They had taken Karen and the unconscious Rinrin to a room in one of the side pavilions. 

"It's all right, Onii-chan." Karen smiled up at her brother.

"I'm so sorry…it was all due to my carelessness…" Keitaro said apologetically.

"It was the least Karen-chan could do." Karen said cheerfully.

"Next time you should keep your medium with you." Kanako sighed as she bandaged Karen's hand. It was just slightly bruised, but it still caused considerable concern for Keitaro and Kanako. "Your medium isn't as cumbersome as the others'…there's no reason to leave it behind. Not to mention the technique you used was an intermediate technique…you shouldn't even know about it yet."

"Yes…Karen-chan apologizes, onee-chan." Karen said.

"I don't want you to apologize. I only want you to keep your own safety in mind in the future." Kanako said. Keitaro chuckled quietly. No matter how cold the façade Kanako maintained, it always melted whenever she was concerned over someone.

"What about Rinrin?" Keitaro asked.

"The doctor is en-route…but there doesn't seem to be any serious injuries…" Kanako said. At this, five of the sisters in the room breathed a sigh of relief. "Though a concussion may still be a possibility." Kanako added. The 5 suddenly looked apprehensive again. "I wish Marie-chan was around right now…"

"Rinrin and her inventions…they just get wilder the older she gets, doesn't it?" Keitaro sighed.

"…" Kanako remained silent. She suddenly got up and walked to the door. "We will talk again later…I have certain matters to attend to. I'll come back when the doctors arrive." Kanako said. "By the way…Onii-chan?" Kanako looked around at him before leaving.

"Yes?" Keitaro asked.

"…I've really missed you…dearly…" She smiled a small smiled. "It's really good to see you again." She said before sliding the door shut behind her.

"She's always been like that…" Keitaro sighed. As soon as Kanako left, the other 4 sisters clustered around Karen and Keitaro. Not that they were afraid of Kanako. It was just that there was something about Kanako that commanded respect. Something intimidating. Or at least, so it seemed to the younger siblings.

"Wow…Onee-tama really used the Kaze no Gan!" Hinako asked.

"And without a medium!" Hinata added.

"Nii-sama! Tell us how you saved Rinrin-neesama!" Shirayuki asked, hanging onto Keitaro's shoulder. "Please!"

Kaho, meanwhile, watched her big brother with shining eyes, expecting a tale of great heroism. Both Hinako and Hinata also turned their attention to their big brother for yet another heroic triumph from their brother.

"Err…." Keitaro started, scratching his head. "Well…"

"Karen-chan will have to tell you the story, children. Onii-sama is too tired at the moment." Sasaki-san came in carrying a large bowl of water and a towel. This elicited protests from three of the sisters and beseeching looks from all four.

"By the way, I heard Karen-chan made some bread…I left it in the kitchen. It was still warm but if you leave it out for too long…it might lose its sweetness." Sasaki-san said. "Oh dear…who could I get to eat it while it's still warm and sweet…." She wondered out loud to herself.

Hinako and Hinata were first to the door, even before Sasaki finished her last sentence. Kaho let out a small sigh of defeat before giving Keitaro a meaningful look while nodding at Rinrin. With a smile, she too left.

"Please take care of Rinrin-neesama." Shirayuki said, before leaving.

"Yes, please tell us when she wakes up." Karen added, before sliding the door back shut.

"haha…exhausting, isn't it?" Sasaki-san chuckled. "But you are a big brother after all…and you seem to enjoy it."

"haha…these girls are growing up so fast…" Keitaro sighed. "Now I'm starting to be afraid that I might miss even a bit of it…"

"You're starting to sound like a parent already." Sasaki-san grinned. "That's good. Anyway, Marie-chan will be arriving at the station in a few minutes…if you feel you've got the energy, why don't you go pick her up? It would do you good to see the old neighbourhood." Sasaki-san suggested. "I'll take care of Rinrin-chan. Besides, when Marie-chan gets here, it won't matter much would it?" She winked at Keitaro.

"I guess you do have a point." Keitaro smiled at his old, thoughtful nanny, housekeeper, and friend. "What time will her train arrive?"

"About 2…should give you lots of time to look around, wouldn't it? The old church was just renovated too. You should go visit." Sasaki-san said.

"Thanks, Sasaki-san." Keitaro said as he got up. "I'll leave it to you then."

"You can count on old Sasaki." Sasaki-san laughed, patting her chest. "I've helped raise all 14 of you, and if one can manage that, one could do anything."

* * *

To be continued… The storyline may seem a little bit linear at the moment, but I assure you things will pick-up pretty quickly after the next chapter, especially once I'm done giving each sister a personal introduction. 

Also, I'm sure a lot of you are eager to see what would happen when either Naru or Motoko (or both) try and hit Keitaro again. I myself can't wait to get to that, to be honest. But unfortunately, that'll have to wait until next chapter.

And I'm also pretty sure some of you are dying to see the rest of the cast, especially cute little Aria-chan, adorable Marie-chan, sweet Haruka-chan (renamed Keiko for this story), enigmatic Chiikage-chan, and spunky Sakuya-chan. Don't worry. They'll all finally make an appearance in chapter 3.

So, quite a lot to look forwards to in chapter 3. Your continual support really helps. Thank you!

Please review. Your comments and suggestions are pretty much the driving force behind my writing here. Each and every one of them means a lot to me. Thanks!

For character profiles, sneak peaks, previews of upcoming chapters, for Sister Princess as well as my other works, feel free to visit our Fan Works Forum, the Unlimited Fan Works, accessible through the homepage link on our profile. Thank You.


	3. Chp3:Seeking Comfort

Sister Princess Chp3: Seeking comfort

By Zenithos

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina. I don't own Sister Princess either. Neither do I own Mahou Sensei Negima from which I've borrowed a number of characters. I completely respect their creators and in no way seek to discredit them for their work. A number of Sister Princess characters are featured in this story, but they are completely OCs. This fan fiction was written completely for personal enjoyment, not for profit.

This story is completely spoiler-free.

Thanks for all the great reviews! To all you reviewers, this new chapter's all for you guys! I'm still an inexperienced writer, so every bit of feedback and support, even flames, is extremely helpful. Thanks everyone! Also, thanks to Antimatter who so thoughtfully provided me with a LOT of helpful information regarding Japanese funerals. Thanks as well to everyone on the Fanfiction Forum for their constructive suggestions.

Chapter 3 turned out a lot longer than I expected and so to minimize delays I've divided it in two. The second half will be ready very soon. Finally, with chapter 4 done, I'll finally be finished with the introduction. Believe it or not, we're still crawling through the introduction here.

I've had a few comments regarding my use of Japanese terms from the friendly people at the fanfiction forum. I promise I'll cut down on them, but for some, to retain the feel (such as martial arts techniques), I'll stick to the Japanese terminology. I'm sure everyone's acquainted with words like 'oka-sama' and 'oto-sama' (well, ok, perhaps not everyone. They mean 'mother' and 'father' respectively). But in the interest of keeping this fanfic understandable, I'll add a glossary of Japanese terms at the end of each chapter. No need to open up dictionaries, I assure you. Notes on honorifics and names will also be available at the end.

Proof-read by Beyond the Bounds

* * *

The neighbourhood hadn't changed much, Keitaro found, as he walked down the snow laden street. Here and there, a number of new houses had been built. But the streets were the same as always. It was quiet. Back in his childhood days, the streets would always be full of children's laughter, or at least, that was how he remembered it. The small old church loomed out in the distance. It was a quaint little church. Not grand, but it radiated an aura of coziness and belonging, rather than intimidation. 

Keitaro stopped for a moment in front of its grand oak doors. His parents used to take him and his sisters here every Sunday. He sighed. Managing 14 children in a church during mass was a Herculean feat, if not impossible.

He pushed open the door and walked in. It was rather chilly and draughty inside, but the caretakers had taken the trouble to put heaters in some places. He noticed there was someone sitting in the front row.

He decided to go and pray. At this moment in time, he felt he needed prayers. As he walked down the aisle, the kaleidoscope of light filtering through the high stained glass windows played across his face.

"Ani-kun?" the figure sitting in the front row suddenly asked. She was still staring at the altar, but apparently she had somehow sensed his presence. She was clad in a black coat under a white traveling cloak. Her dark violet hair flowed out from underneath her white barrette. She wore her collars turned upwards, adorned with a pair of crucifixes.

"Chiikage-chan?" Keitaro asked, approaching her. The figure finally turned around. A pair of large, sad, deep violet eyes peered back at him. She stood up as Keitaro drew up to the front row.

"Ani-kun…" She murmured, before pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Chiikage-chan…you're back…but why didn't you come straight to the residence?" Keitaro asked, returning the embrace.

"Ani-kun…I've missed you so…" She murmured.

"I've missed you too, Chiikage-chan." Keitaro replied. Perhaps there'd be a time for questions later.

"I wanted to show you, Ani-kun." Chiikage suddenly released her brother. She took off one of her gloves. The candles around the church suddenly flickered and dimmed. Even the light from the high stained glass windows seemed to dim as if a passing cloud suddenly blocked the sunlight. "I've begun to control it…" A pale violet flame suddenly flared up in the palm of her hand. The glow cast strange shadows all around the grand room. The shadows across her face seemed to dance a dark little dance as the flames flickered and burned. Her eyes seemed to burn alive along with the flames.

"Wow…that's amazing, Chiikage-chan." Keitaro beamed down at his little sister. "You've practiced a lot, haven't you?"

"All the credit goes to you, ani-kun." Chiikage said, in slow, level tones. She closed her fist over the flames and extinguished it. "It's thanks to you that I was able to start controlling them…" The light in the room suddenly returned to normal.

"It's your hard work." Keitaro smiled gently, sitting down in the front row. "You should always acknowledge yourself, Chiikage-chan."

"I…I didn't dare come home….not yet…" Chiikage murmured, sitting down beside her brother. She looked down at her hands. "I…I can't face them…not now…"

"Why? You're their daughter. You have every right to see them." Keitaro said, looking down at his sister.

"I…still don't know what I am…and why I exist…" Chiikage said. She looked up at her brother. In her eyes Keitaro could see loneliness, and a fear so deep it was etched into the soul. "This…this…" Her hand shook. "I still don't know the meaning of this…" She looked down at her hands.

"At the very least, you know who you are." Keitaro said. Chiikage looked up at her brother again. "You are Urashima Chiikage, daughter of the Urashima family. You don't have to know why you exist. Or why you have those powers. It won't change the fact that you are their daughter, and my dear sister." Keitaro said, stroking her hair lovingly.

"Ani-kun…" Tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm…I'm afraid…I've always been afraid…I don't want to hurt anyone…especially not you, ani-kun…" She said, her voice trembling slightly. "I'm so scared…" she closed her eyes.

"You have no reason to fear anything, Chiikage-chan." Keitaro said, pulling her into a tight hug. "We'll be there for you. All of us. And we'll help you through whenever you're afraid…"

"A…Ani-kun…" Chiikage's tears started to stream out uncontrollably. She tried to shut her eyes even tighter. "Ani-kun…I…I've always wanted to go home…to see everyone…I…I…Ani-kun…"

* * *

"So this is where you used to attend mass?" Naru asked as they passed the very same church Keitaro was in at that exact moment. 

"Squawk! Checky!"

"Yes." Mizuki answered, looking up, admiring how the light shown off the old gothic building. Sure, it didn't compare to any of the great churches in England, but this one held a particularly special place in her heart.

"So…this is Urashima's old neighbourhood…it seems quite normal…" Motoko said.

"What exactly were you expecting, Motoko?" Mitsune asked, a grin on her face. "Strange clubs and whatnot?" luckily, Mizuki didn't pick up any of this. Naru had engaged her attention with a little chat regarding the old church building.

"N…no!" Motoko stammered, blushing slightly. "It's just that…"

"And that over there is my home." Mizuki said, pointing ahead of them, at the large spacious residence perched atop a hill.

"….you….gotta…be…kidding…me…" Mitsune's jaw dropped. So did her bag.

"Well, that explains the Hinata Sou." Motoko said, nodding slightly.

"Awawa….Keitaro-sempai is rich…" Shinobu blurted.

"He must have lots of food too!" Suu cried with joy.

"Wow….and he's so modest too…" Naru wondered out loud under her breath. "I wonder…"

"Yes…he doesn't act as if he's rich at all…" Motoko agreed, having heard Naru.

"You said Ani-chama had left earlier, right? Then he should be there now." Mizuki smiled a broad smile as she started off towards the residence.

"You really miss him, don't you?" Shinobu asked.

"Yes, with all my heart. He's the nicest, gentlest, most caring person in the world." Mizuki said, closing her eyes, imagining the perfect being her brother was in her mind.

"That's one description of Urashima I've never heard of…" Motoko whispered.

"It must be a sibling thing." Naru reasoned.

* * *

"Do you think you can get there by yourself?" Keitaro asked Chiikage. To be honest, he was slightly concerned. 

"I can manage, Ani-kun." Chiikage smiled a small smile up at her brother as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

"I still have to go pick up Marie-chan at the station. I'll see you later at the residence, all right?" Keitaro said, opening the door for her.

"Thank you, Ani-kun." Chiikage said, turning to face her brother. "For everything." She added, as she stood up on tiptoe and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She gave the surprised Keitaro a quick, tight hug, before going on her way towards the residence.

"errr…you're welcome…" Keitaro murmured, blushing slightly. He watched as she disappeared down the street before turning towards the station.

* * *

Before he knew it, he was back at the station. There was still an hour until the train's arrival. The walk turned out to be quite brief. He decided to just wait out on the platform. 

"But…are you sure? It's got to be there somewhere…" He head a voice say behind him. He looked around. A young, silky black-haired girl in a heavy black winter kimono was talking to two bespectacled men in conductor uniforms. Her hair was tied into a long, high ponytail at the back and into two small ponytails at the sides by her ears.

"Sorry, miss. But apparently that's all there was in the baggage compartment. Are you sure you didn't take it into the carriage with you?" The taller of the two conductors asked.

"Keiko-chan?" Keitaro approached the young girl and the conductors.

"Anigimi-sama!" The young girl cried as she looked around. "Anigimi-sama! I've missed you so much!" She ran and hugged Keitaro around the waist.

"I've missed you too." Keitaro said, hugging her back with one hand, patting her on the head with another.

"Oh, Keitaro. Long time no see." One of the conductors said.

"Err…we heard the news…" The other one said.

"Ah…I'm sorry guys…you two look familiar but…." Keitaro bowed slightly in apology.

"IT'S YOUR BEST BUDDY HAITANI!" The taller one shouted, exasperated beyond hell.

"AND YOUR OTHER BUDDY SHIRAI!" The other, shorter one shouted.

"Ah….right…fancy meeting you guys here." Keitaro said. "By the way, this is my sister, Keiko-chan. Keiko-chan, these are my friends from high school, Shirai and Haitani."

"Greetings…my name's Urashima Keitaro. It's a pleasure to meet the two of you." Keiko bowed deeply as she greeted the two.

Shirai and Haitani, not being used to being greeted in such a formal manner, were at a sudden loss for words. They both bowed clumsily, mumbling and stammering incomprehensible words.

"Err…we heard about your loss Keitaro…" Haitani said, raising his glasses. "We wanted to express our condolences."

"…that's why we got off here. We thought we should at least stop by and pay our respects." Shirai finished.

"Thanks guys…it really means a lot to me…" Keitaro smiled gratefully at his friends. "But wouldn't it be a problem if the train was short on two conductors?"

"Nah, some of our buddies are covering. We've already explained it to our boss. We'll take the evening train back." Shirai said, smiling his usual 'no problem' smile.

"Thanks…but it's not really worth all the trouble…" Keitaro said. "Err, Keiko-chan, was there a problem?" He turned to Keiko.

"Should we mention that the condolence thing was only part of the reason?" Shirai whispered to Haitani.

"Nah, we shouldn't tell him that we came mostly because of those beautiful girls." Haitani whispered back.

"My suitcase went missing." Keiko explained. "I had checked it in…but it didn't arrive."

"Oh…was there anything important in the suitcase?" Keitaro asked.

"Umm…well…yes…" Keiko said, shifting about uneasily.

"Ok….Shirai? Haitani? Do you guys have any suggestions?" He asked the two.

"Well…since it isn't here…and the train's already left…the only other option would be to phone the next station…" Shirai said. "I don't know whether or not they'd be willing to help though…"

"Hey, the next station is Tsukamoto station, isn't it?" Keitaro asked, suddenly.

"Err…yeah, it is…" Haitani said.

"Ok…I have an idea…" Keitaro said, running to the station master's office.

"…if you're Keitaro's sister, then why weren't you with Mizuki-chan and the others?" Haitani suddenly asked.

Keiko put on an expression of polite puzzlement. "Are?" she asked.

"Well, Mizuki-chan was on the train along with some of the girls from your brother's dorm." Haitani explained.

"You mean they're here already?" Keitaro asked, returning with a bicycle.

"I must've missed them on the train…" Keiko said, half to herself. "Anigimi-san?" She asked, noticing the bike.

"I know a shortcut…" Keitaro winked. "The station master here's a friend of the family and I asked him to lend me his bike."

"You're seriously going to outrun a train?" Shirai asked, incredulously.

"Hey, this is my turf." Keitaro said, mounting the bike. Keiko leaped on and sat sideways on the back seat. "Keiko-chan?"

"Well, I'm the one who knows what the bag looks like, right?" Keiko said, smiling up at her brother.

"Ok then, hold on!" Keitaro kicked off and together the sped out of the station. "I'll meet you guys at my house later!"

"Uh…sure…" Haitani said. "Hey…was that Keitaro?" He asked, pointing in the direction of the corner around which Keitaro and Keiko had just disappeared.

"Well…he does look like Keitaro…but I've never known him to be THAT dependable…" Shirai said, raising his glasses in contemplation.

"It must be a sibling thing…" Haitani nodded.

* * *

"Hold on tight!" Keitaro shouted over the wind as they sped across the crystalline white Japanese landscape. "The train would have to take a bit of a roundabout way further up the tracks to avoid having to cut through that hill." Keitaro pointed out. "We, on the other hand, are going to take the scenic short cut." 

"…this sure does bring back memories, doesn't it, Anigimi-sama?" Keiko said, holding onto Keitaro's waist. She breathed in the cool air as the cold icy wind whipped at her hair.

"Yeah…we used to go down this road together a lot…" Keitaro reminisced. "Nothing has changed much since then…but…things will definitely start changing now…" he sighed.

"The air's nothing like Stuttgart."

"How was Germany?" Keitaro asked. "Fun?"

"Not really…" Keiko sighed. "Each and everyday I found myself wondering about home…and you, Anigimi-sama." Keitaro had to squint a bit as the bright sunlight had turned the entire snowy landscape ablaze with light.

"Why?" Keitaro asked. "Isn't there plenty to do in Stuttgart?"

"I…before I left…the last time…" Keiko started, her voice lowering slightly. "I had a row with oka-sama and oto-sama….I felt so bitter when I left. I felt as if they were the last people who could ever understand me…" Keitaro remained silent.

"I never called back or anything…for about 2 months…I never returned their calls or letters…and then…" Her voice shook. "It was a really stupid row in the first place…I…I didn't want to go to school in Germany anymore….I told them I wanted to stay here in Japan. But…but…" Tears leaked out. "And now…I…I never got the chance to apologize." She said, her voice only slightly above a whisper. "I…I wanted to tell them I'm sorry. I'm sorry about a lot of things…but…I never got the chance…."

"You never really needed the chance, Keiko-chan." Keitaro said. "Parents never have anything to forgive as they never seek apologies in the first place." He looked away over the frost covered farmlands up to the bluish white mountains in the distance. "To a parent, the child is everything. They will always teach you right from wrong but they will never really want apologies."

"R…really?" Keiko asked.

"Really really." Keitaro smiled back at his sister.

"Anigimi-sama…." Keiko said. "I never want to regret anything anymore. I don't want to have to regret leaving the family anymore…"

"You won't have to…We'll all live together as a family from this day onwards." Keitaro said. "That's a promise."

* * *

"Wow….it's even bigger up close…" Naru said in awe. 

"Sasaki-san!" Mizuki cried as the door opened to reveal the old, smiling face of Sasaki-san. She leapt in and hugged the maid tightly around the waist.

"Hahaha, if it isn't little Mizuki-chan….then again, you're not so little anymore." Sasaki-san laughed. "Did you meet your brother on the way here?"

"Oh, no." Mizuki answered in Japanese. She felt comforted by the fact that she at least knew how to say the simple words.

"That's funny…he went out to pick-up Marie-chan a while ago…he should've bumped into you on the way….ah, you must be Keitaro's friends." Sasaki-san smiled at the group of girls behind Mizuki as they came in. The girls immediately bowed and introduced themselves formally.

"Haha, no need for such formality here." Sasaki-san laughed, bowing slightly in return. "I'm Sasaki, your humble servant. Well, Mizuki, everyone, I'm guessing you're all tired after your trip. We've prepared rooms for everyone…"

"Excuse me, Sasaki-san?" Naru spoke up. "Is it all right for us to go see Keitaro's parents first?" Everyone nodded, agreeing.

"Mizuki-neesan!" A voice cried out. Mizuki looked around and smiled as she noticed six little girl speed towards her.

"Mizuki-neechama!", "Mizuki-neetama!", "Mizuki-neesama!" They hailed in turn.

"Karen-chan! Hinata-chan! Hinako-chan! Shirayuki-chan! Kaho-chan!" Mizuki called out.

"Nee-ya!" One, smaller voice shouted out.

* * *

"Yes, here it is miss." One of the baggage inspectors said, handing Keiko her suitcase. "Sorry for the trouble." 

"It was no trouble at all." Keiko replied politely. Keitaro, meanwhile, was wheezing as he leaned on the bicycle. "Thank you ever so much." She said as she bowed to the inspector before returning to her brother. "Anigimi-sama! They found it! Thank you!" She cried as she hugged Keitaro around the waist.

"Haha, don't worry about it." Keitaro smiled. "It's a relief that we found it…now…we've got to head back, fast. Marie-chan's train arrives in" he looked at his watch, "…half an hour." Keitaro said, mounting the bicycle again. "Let's hurry, Keiko-chan!"

"Hai, Anigimi-sama!" Keiko said, leaping back onto the bicycle. Together they sped back out of the station and across the pale white Japanese countryside.

* * *

"Keitaro sure has a lot of sisters…" Naru remarked as they sat together on one of the pavilion's verandahs. 

"And we've only seen half…" Mitsune added. "It's not everyday you see such a gigantic family…."

"And yet he's so…unused to being around girls." Motoko said, eyes closed in contemplation. She had a thousand other ways of saying this, but she decided to choose the polite way.

"That's because he's such a gentleman." A voice said beside them. They all looked around in surprise to see a young teenage girl in a black suit and skirt. Though everything about the way she clothed swore formality, there was a tell tale hint of fashion in everything she chose, from her choice of blouses to the way her auburn hair was tied into two long ponytails.

"Ah, I'm sorry, but I just couldn't help overhearing you all talking about my brother." The girl said, with just a very slight hint of coolness. "My name's Urashima Sakuya." She introduced herself.

"Hi…" Naru replied, a bit uneasily. She and the others introduced themselves one by one and explained how they came to know Keitaro.

"Oh….right, so you're the tenants living at Hinata Sou…" Sakuya said, smiling. "Tell me…do any of you fancy my brother?" She asked playfully.

"H…him?" Naru stammered, caught entirely unaware. Her face turned slightly pink, despite the cold.

"Anou…awawa…" Shinobu blushed and turned the shade of a ripe tomato. "No…it's not…"

"No offense meant, but no." Motoko answered, though her cheeks had betrayed her ever so slightly.

"hahahaha…" Mitsune laughed, who's had a lifetime of lying and swearing off relationships. Facing down a little teenager was a piece of cake for her.

"Fancy? What's that? Is it edible?" Suu asked, in her usual curious manner.

"Well well…so my brother has been busy…" Sakuya smiled while eyeing the five Hinata Sou residents.

"…checky…" A face disappeared behind the corner of the pavilion.

* * *

"I'll see you later, Keiko-chan." Keitaro said, dropping off Keiko in front of the residence. "I'll go and…" 

"Just a moment there, Keitaro!" A voice shouted. Keitaro and Keiko looked around and saw the approaching figure of Sasaki-san. "Well, well, welcome, Keiko-chan. We'll talk in a moment. Keitaro, if you're going to pick up Marie-chan now, you might as well go with the car we're about to send to pick her up."

"Err…car?" Keitaro was a bit confused for a moment.

"Off course. Do you really think we'd allow you to take Marie-chan in the open air? We were going to send the car after you anyway. But since you're here, you might as well take the car. You've got a drivers license, don't you?" Sasaki-san asked.

"Err…no…not yet." Keitaro laughed uneasily, scratching the back of his head.

"No worries, Sasaki-san. I'll drive." The familiar figure of Matsura-san emerged from behind the door.

"Ah, Matsura-san…thanks." Keitaro said.

"Well, try not to kill anyone, Matsura." Sasaki chuckled, handing him the car keys.

"I won't." Matsura smiled, getting in the driver's seat of the black sedan parked in front of the residence. "Promise. I know how complicated the lawsuit is."

"Sure, sure. Just take care, you two." Sasaki-san smiled before disappearing into the residence.

"Be careful, Anigimi-sama! I'll be waiting for your return!' Keiko said.

"Well then, Keitaro, how does it feel to back home again after such a long time?" Matsure asked, turning the key and shifting gears.

"It feels strange. It feels as if nothing has changed, yet, at the same time…" Keitaro started.

"It feels different, am I correct?" Matsura finished for him.

"Yes, in a way…" Keitaro sighed.

"Well…change is the only constant thing, Keitaro. You'll have to get used to it." Matsura said, in a philosophical tone. "Actually, there was a reason why I wanted to drive you today…"

"And that is…?" Keitaro asked, sensing this was something sensitive.

"Well…it's Marciano…she's back in Japan…" Matsura said, rather uneasily. "We're hoping against hope that she didn't get wind of your parents passing away….but…that would be too much to hope for. We know she'll make a case out of it, but we assure you, the legacy is safely in your hands."

"Oh…ok then…I'll leave it to you, Matsura-san." Keitaro said. "Thank you…for everything."

"It's my duty to your family, Keitaro. Think nothing of it. Your father helped me a lot in the past…I could never repay him for his kindness, but at the very least, I can do something for his children." He smiled at Keitaro.

"Oh, the train's here." Keitaro said as they pulled up by the station. "I'll just go and get my sister."

"I'll keep the car warm. No worries." Matsura said, leaning back in his chair. "Take your time…you haven't seen her in quite a while, right?"

* * *

The platform was rather empty, even though a train had just arrived. It didn't take long for Keitaro to spot his sister as she left the train, pushed along in her wheelchair by her nurse. 

"Marie-chan!" Keitaro hollered at her.

"ah! Aniue-sama!" The young, bespectacled girl in the wheelchair called back, waving her hand. She was wrapped up well in a thick black coat and white scarf as well as long wooly skirt. A large patch-work blanket was neatly and thoughtfully laid across her lap.

"How've you been doing, Marie-chan?" Keitaro asked, smiling warmly as he approached.

"Very fine, thank you, Aniue-sama. All the better for seeing you." She said. "I haven't seen you for such a long time, aniue-sama. Are you taking care of yourself?"

"Yes. Definitely." Keitaro replied. "How are you, Izumi-san?" He greeted the nurse as he took hold of the wheelchair.

"Fine as always, Keitaro-sama." Izumi Ako blushed slightly.

"That's good, it's always nice to see you again, Izumi-san. Well, let's get you into the car, Marie-chan. Can't have you out in the cold for too long." Keitaro said, pushing the wheelchair down the platform.

"Aniue-sama, I'm not that weak…I can handle a little bit of cold air." Marie protested playfully at Keitaro's condescending remark.

"Oh, right. I forgot, you're a big girl now." Keitaro smiled tactfully, ruffling her hair playfully. Izumi could only smile, watching the warmth between the two siblings.

* * *

"What's up with that girl?" Naru fumed as she stared out over the courtyard. Sakuya had left just a moment ago, saying she had to check up on one of her sisters. "It's seriously none of her business, is it?" 

"Perhaps it is…she is his little sister after all, and one of the eldest too from the looks of it." Mitsune said. "It's no surprise if she's just a bit worried about her brother's love life…though she was rather blunt."

"I guess…you may be right. I mean, Mei-chan asks me about that all the time…it still annoys me though." Naru muttered.

"Huh, isn't that Urashima?" Motoko asked, lowering her tea cup. Everyone looked over at the gate where Keitaro had just entered, pushing a girl in a wheelchair.

"oh…And that must be one of his sisters…" Shinobu said, standing up.

A small girl in a cute frilly black dress, complete with a black ribbon on her head, ran out to meet him and the girl in the wheelchair. "Nii-ya!" She cried in a sing-song voice, coupled with childish laughter.

"Aria-chan!" Keitaro replied, running over and scooping up the girl in his arms. He held her up high in the air and spun around her the courtyard.

"Nii-ya! Nii-ya! You're back!" The little girl cried happily, her beautiful light blue hair flying behind her. Her childish laughter rang clear across the crisp winter air, echoing and reverberating in every single listener's heart.

"THAT LOLICON URASHIMA!" Motoko prepared to stand up, holding onto her katana.

"Hold it….that's his own little sister." Mitsune warned, holding onto Motoko's arm. "It's perfectly natural, in fact, I think it's cute."

"He really does have such a side to him…" Naru murmured.

"S…sempai…" tears were running down Shinobu's cheeks.

"AND HE MADE SHINOBU CRY AGAIN!" Motoko screamed. Mitsune had to struggle to keep her grip on Motoko.

"Nii-ya! Aria-chan missed you, Nii-ya!" The girl said as Keitaro snuggled her cheeks.

"I missed you too, Aria-chan. Oh, I missed you so much." There were tears in Keitaro's eyes.

"Aria-chan knew you'd be coming so Aria-chan waited." Aria said, looking up into Keitaro's eyes. Keitaro looked back into her bright blue eyes, into her grey pupils, and couldn't help but feel a deep sorrow.

"Ani-chama!" A voice called out. Keitaro looked around and saw Mizuki approaching, waving as she did.

"Mizuki-chan!" Keitaro replied, walking over to her while still holding Aria in his hands. She had her arms firmly wrapped around Keitaro's neck.

"I haven't seen you for such a long time, Ani-chama!" Mizuki cried (in English), running into her brother's outstretched arm. Keitaro gave her as tight a hug as he could with only one arm. The other arm was tightly wrapped around Aria's waist.

"How's little detective-chan been doing?" Keitaro asked (in English), stooping down to hold her close to him.

"Mizuki's not that little anymore, Ani-chama!" Mizuki laughed, tears running down her face.

"Wow…Keitaro's English isn't bad…" Naru murmured in awe.

"And he's really overflowing with love, isn't he?" Mitsune said.

Motoko coughed. "So…he is human, at least…"

"Sempai…" Shinobu was crying in buckets now. The scene was too much for her. Being an only child in a broken family, one would find oneself envious of many things. But Shinobu wasn't at all envious. She was feeling heartfelt joy for Keitaro and his sisters.

"Onii-sama…it's been a while…" Sakuya said, stepping out to greet her brother.

"Sakuya-chan…wow, you've really grown…" Keitaro said. Mizuki moved aside slightly from Keitaro, while still hugging him, to allow Sakuya to receive a hug from her dear brother. Keitaro embraced her warmly and gave her one of his gentle smiles.

"So…missed me?" Keitaro asked, a hint of cheekiness in his voice.

"You wish bro." Sakuya laughed, giving him a tight squeeze. "But life is just not the same without you, bro…" She conceded.

"Haha, so you do miss me." Keitaro laughed good-naturedly. "Well, just for today, I'll let you into a little secret…"

"And that is?" Sakuya looked up at her brother with a cheeky grin.

"I might miss you…" Keitaro teased.

"Might?!" Sakuya cried, feigning playful anger. "You're not getting away for that one!" Her hug changed into a playful chokehold. "I'll make you pay!"

"hahahaha!", Keitaro laughed, scooping Mizuki into one arm. "Only if you catch me!" Keitaro taunted, running across the courtyard. Mizuki and Aria laughed along with him as Sakuya ran after them. Their laughter echoed throughout the entire residence. The guests couldn't help but turn and watch, and smile as they regarded the cute little scene.

"Nii-sama is back!" Shirayuki shouted, as she slid open a sliding door. "Everyone!" She called out. A load of children flooded out, even Rinrin. Chiikage and Keiko followed and smiled from the door as they watched the rest of the children join the pursuit. They looked at one another, gave each other small smiles, and ran out to join the fun.

"Onii-chama!"

"Onii-tama!"

"Onii-chan!"

"Aniki!"

"Nii-sama!"

"Ani-kun!"

"Anigimi-sama!"

"Onii-sama!"

Keitaro ran to the old oak tree, still holding Aria and Mizuki in his arms. He stopped and put them down carefully and turned around before a well-placed tackle caught him right in the stomach.

"hehe…thought you could get away from me, Aniki?" Rinrin's bright face gloated down at him. "Miss me?" She asked, her heavy Chinese accent very apparent.

"Do I have to?" Keitaro asked playfully.

"YES! Cause if you don't, I'll give you my super special Rinrin punishment!" squeezing him tightly around the chest and snuggling into him.

"haha, yes, yes, I really miss you, Rinrin-chan." Keitaro laughed, patting his little sister.

"Hey! No fair! I was the one trying to chase him down!" Sakuya protested in her usual playful manner.

"haha, who said you've caught me?" Keitaro asked, getting up and picking up Rinrin. "Catch me if you can!" He shouted as he ran out across the courtyard, carrying Rinrin on his back. The children all laughed with joy as they chased their brother across the courtyard once again.

"Ah…ah…aniue-sama…" Marie put up her hands as Keitaro ran straight towards her.

"Brace yourself Marie-chan!" Keitaro shouted, scooping Marie out of her wheelchair.

"Iyaaaaaan!" Marie cried out before laughing loudly as Keitaro made another round of the front courtyard. Ako couldn't help but laugh along, watching the whole scene.

"Aniue-sama…" Marie smiled, looking up her brother's panting, glowing face.

"Go Aniki! GO!" Rinrin cheered as they rounded the old oak tree once more.

"Wow…that looks like fun…" Suu cooed.

"Keitaro seems so…different…" Naru murmured thoughtfully.

"Yeah…if I didn't know any better, I'd say we have the wrong man…" Haitani said, standing by the Hinata girls.

"The Keitaro we know is…well…perpetually floating between empty confidence and depression…" Shirai said, raising his glasses.

"I daresay we KNEW the wrong man…" Mitsune said.

"Sempai…" Shinobu's tears were now flooding the verandah.

"He's schizophrenic…" Motoko said, using a word she had picked out of some old textbook.

"No, he's just being natural. That's the real Keitaro…free, loving, and caring…." Haruka said, standing beside them.

"H…Haruka-san?" Naru looked up at Haruka. Everyone did.

"That's just how Keitaro really is…that's how he grew up." Haruka sighed. "But life has a way of restraining people, and Keitaro hasn't had what one might call an easy life…"

"Oh…" Naru murmured, watching Keitaro carry Marie on his back while scooping Hinako and Hinata onto his shoulders while still running across the courtyard.

"They…don't look like they're grieving…" Motoko said, sounding more blunt than she really meant. It's just that samurai have rather set views on how one should mourn the deceased.

"It's…" Haruka closed her eyes. "It's their way…it's just their way of hiding away the pain of their sorrow…they've always been like that, seeking comfort in one another. Not one of them are complete without the others…" Haruka sighed. "Now…I'm getting all sentimental…what am I saying?"

"I think…Keitaro will do just fine…" Grandma Hina said, chuckling.

"I believe so too…I have every confidence in him." Kanako smiled.

"He's a real big brother…there's no denying that." Sasaki-san laughed. Makie blushed slightly and giggled as she watched the scene before her.

"Go on." Grandma Hina winked at Kanako. "You know you want to."

"I'm…I'm not a little girl anymore…" Kanako said. She looked at Keitaro for a moment, shrugged and, despite what she said, joined the fun and games.

* * *

"Phew…I'm beat…" Keitaro said, wiping the sweat off his brow after putting Marie down on a seat. They had retreated inside the room prepared for Marie. The other sisters had gone to the kitchen for refreshments, courtesy of Sasaki-san, off course. She had purposely sent Rinrin along with Keitaro and Marie. 

Marie gestured Rinrin to come close before placing her hands on Rinrin's head.

"Marie-chan, I'm fine…" Rinrin said. "The doctor had checked me up and…"

"Aneue-sama (respected sister), a little prudence won't hurt. From what I heard, you had quite a fall." Marie said. The palms of her hand glowed a bright white for a bit. "Yes, you're ok. It was only a minor concussion. But try to be more careful in the future, aneue-sama." Marie said as she lowered her hands.

"Sure, Marie-chan, thanks. But I've got Aniki to save me whenever I'm in trouble." She grinned. "Aniki, umm…" She pulled Keitaro aside for a bit. Marie, sensing her older sister wanted a private chat, tactfully busied herself with her bag. "Can you stay with Marie-chan for a little bit? I think…she needs someone to talk to…"

"Sure, no problem…" Keitaro whispered back, winking.

"Ok, Aniki, I'll see you later then! Marie-chan, rest well, ok!" She said cheerfully, leaving the room.

"That Rinrin…always as cheerful as ever…" Keitaro sighed.

"Yes, Aneue-sama certainly is always energetic." Marie smiled.

"Thank you, Marie-chan…your powers are, as usual, amazing." Keitaro said, patting his little sister on the shoulder.

"My powers…" Marie looked down at the palm of her hand. "And yet…I am incapable of helping myself…or those who really need it…"

"That's not true, Marie-chan. You just helped Rinrin-chan." Keitaro said.

"Oka-sama and Oto-sama…" Marie murmured. "I have powers…and yet…I couldn't save them when they needed it…I couldn't save my own parents…" Marie wore a glazed look.

"That's not true!" Keitaro said, kneeling in front of Marie and looking up into her face. "Listen to me, Marie-chan. Being able to save people means having the ability and chance to do so. Yes, you have the ability, but you didn't have the chance. Our parent's death was something way beyond our control. Nobody's to blame!" Keitaro said. "It wasn't your fault."

"But…but…why…why do I have this…this curse…I couldn't heal myself…nor those that…" tears streamed down Marie's face.

"Marie-chan, your powers are a gift, not a curse." Keitaro said. "For example, we could now breath a little easier knowing Rinrin-chan is ok, thanks to you. We must always try and help those in need, but when it's just beyond us, then we mustn't blame ourselves."

"A…Aniue-sama…can we stay together…all of us…forever…please?" Marie asked as more tears ran down her cheeks. "I…I don't want…anyone to go…I don't want to…let anyone slip through my hands…again…"

"Yes…we will…from now on, all of us will always be together…" Keitaro said, pulling Marie into an embrace. "That's a promise. None of us will ever leave you again, Marie-chan…"

"Aniue-sama…" Marie held onto her brother as tightly as possible.

* * *

A moment later… 

"I wonder where the girls went…" Keitaro wondered as he walked through the residence, looking for his tenants. "This place…it always feels so large…" He mused, tracing his hands over the wooden wall panels. A pale orange light was filtering through the paper panels. It was quickly darkening outside. These were the days when the nights were long and cold and the days were short lived.

He suddenly found himself inside the main room of the main pavilion where the coffins were. He noticed a small, lone figure looking up at the coffins, facing away from him. It was little Aria. "Hya!" A childish laugh escaped her lips as she turned around to face her brother. "Aria-chan knew it was you, Nii-ya!"

"Haha, you're as perceptive as ever, Aria-chan." Keitaro said, coming up to her. "What're you doing?"

"…" Aria looked around at the coffins again. "Aria-chan wanted to see them…" She said, in a little voice. "Aria-chan wanted to see oka-sama and oto-sama with Aria-chan's own eyes…just once…but…Aria-chan can't…" She whispered, looking at the coffins. Her eyes began to water.

"Aria-chan…" Keitaro got down beside her.

"Aria-chan wanted to be able to see Oka-sama and Oto-sama…to see Nii-ya too. That's why Aria-chan said yes when Oka-sama and Oto-sama sent Aria-chan to France. They promised Aria-chan the people in France will teach Aria-chan to use Aria-chan's eyes…" Aria said, tears streaming down her face. "But…but…"

"You…you don't need eyes to be able to see your parents…they always exist in your heart. Just look inside you, you will see them. Their love…their caring…everything that makes them your parents is inside you." Keitaro said, pulling Aria towards himself. "Aria-chan…you can see so many things other people can't…you can see people's feelings…you can sense people's hearts…your vision is clearer than anyone's." Keitaro said, hugging her tightly.

"Aria-chan…Aria-chan is afraid of the dark…" Aria whispered. "Aria-chan's afraid of quietness…when it's quiet, it feels so dark…and when there was no one, it was so quiet…"

"You'll never be alone again, Aria-chan. Your sisters will be with you. I will be with you." Keitaro said, holding her close.

"Aria-chan can hear your heart, nii-ya…" Aria whispered, snuggling into his chest. "Nii-ya is with me…" She closed her eyes.

"And I always will be…" Keitaro said.

* * *

To be continued…. 

For character profiles, sneak peaks, previews of upcoming chapters, for Sister Princess as well as my other works, feel free to visit our Fan Works Forum, the Unlimited Fan Works, accessible through the homepage link on our profile. Thank You.

Glossary of Japanese terms: (this chapter's glossary includes stuff from previous chapters)

Honorifics:

'name-chan' – used as an expression of endearment, especially towards a person of a younger age, normally for girls.

'name-kun' – used as an expression of endearment, especially towards a person of a younger age, normally for boys

'name-san' – used as an expression of respect.

'name-sama' – used as an expression of utmost respect, and far more formal than '-san'.

'oka-honorific' – mother

'oto-honorific' – father

Terms and words:

'Dozo Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu' – the most polite and formal form of greeting, which basically means 'Please, I'm looking forwards to working/having a nice relationship with you', or at least, something like that.

'Kaze' – wind

'gan' – eye

'Shiro' – white

'yuki' – snow (now, try stringing this word with one above. See what you get.)

'Chii' – thousand

'kage' – shadow (now, try stringing this word with one above. See what you get.)

'mizu' – water

'ki' – energy/spirit (now, try stringing this word with one above. See what you get.)

'hina' – little (ok, now you know what Love Hina means.)

'ko' – child (now, try stringing this word with one above. See what you get. Very fitting, isn't it?)

'Sakuya' – blossom (now that's a very direct translation, isn't it?)


	4. Chp4:Stay Together

Sister Princess Chp4: Stay Together

By Zenithos

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina. I don't own Sister Princess either. Neither do I own Mahou Sensei Negima from which I've borrowed a number of characters. I completely respect their creators and in no way seek to discredit them for their work. A number of Sister Princess characters are featured in this story, but they are completely OCs. This fan fiction was written completely for personal enjoyment, not for profit.

This story is completely spoiler-free.

Fast update, wasn't it? This chapter is just the other half of chapter 3, really. I completed it about half a day after the published chapter 3. Well, hope you like it.

And thanks ever so much for the reviews. They're really helping me along big time. I'm still an inexperienced writer, so every bit of feedback and support, even flames, is extremely helpful. Thanks everyone! I'll work hard to get another chapter up soon, but things are really promising to become hectic towards the end of the year. I'm not saying there would be delays, but we can never really be sure, right?

Also, regarding Mamoru Minakami, I... I didn't want to make any spoilers out of this, but since people have already started questioning it, let's say I have plans... How's that?

PS: Sorry for the typo in the last chapter. I'll fix it soon. but you get the gist of it, right?

And without further ado, chapter 4!

* * *

"The others are asleep?" Keitaro asked in a low voice as he entered one of the smaller rooms in the side pavilions. It was Hinako and Hinata's room, though at the moment quite a few more futons had been laid out across the floor. Hinata and Hinako were sharing the bed on one side, hugging one another for comfort. Kaho and Karen shared another. Marie had somehow made her way to the room, probably seeking company, and had fallen asleep alongside Shirayuki in one futon. Keiko, who had probably been keeping them company, had fallen asleep alongside them. 

The one Keitaro was addressing was Sakuya who was sitting on one side of the room, watching the younger ones sleep. Keitaro gently laid down Aria who had fallen asleep in his arms beside Shirayuki, Marie and Keiko and tucked her into the futon.

"Yeah…they went out like a light a few moments ago… " Sakuya said. "It's….been a long day…hasn't it?"

"Yes…it has…" Keitaro said, sitting down beside Sakuya. "Where are Chiikage, Rinrin, and Mizuki?"

"I think they went to get some hot cocoa…" Sakuya said. "They're probably with Sakura-san in the kitchen."

"The Otsuya (funeral reception, basically the time when all the mourners get together to eat and drink the night away) is still going on, I think." Keitaro said. "Did you go see?"

"Nope, can't stand it anyway." Sakuya sighed. "No one sane could have a stomach for merry-making at times like this…" She hugged her knees.

"They've scheduled the oshoushiki (Japanese funeral ceremony) for tomorrow, seeing as we're all here." Keitaro said.

"…" Sakuya remained silent for a bit. Only the gentle breathing of the smaller sisters broke the silence.

"By the way, Sakuya-chan…errr…I know this might not be the best of times for something like this, but…happy birthday." Keitaro said, taking out a small gift-wrapped package. "And may you have many more…"

"…funny you should mention it now…" Sakuya smiled and sighed, accepting the gift. "Thanks, Onii-sama. You actually remembered…"

"Your welcome…" Keitaro said. "You know the others remembered too…they even got gifts ready…but I guess…at a time like this…"

"…." Sakuya relapsed into silence for a few moments. She suddenly spoke up. "Oka-sama and Oto-sama had asked me to come home a few weeks ago…just for my birthday…but I told them I was too busy…" She interlocked her fingers on her knees. "If only I had come home…perhaps…they wouldn't have gone on that trip…perhaps the accident wouldn't have happened"

"Nobody could foresee these things…" Keitaro sighed.

"But…now…I start to question…did I love them enough? If I did, why didn't I just come home? Why didn't I prevent the accident from happening?" Sakuya whispered. "If I loved them enough, wouldn't I have had the sense to come home when they asked me to?" She looked up at her brother.

"Sakuya-chan…" Keitaro sighed again. "In life, you do what you can. You propose, life disposes. It wasn't your fault." Keitaro closed his eyes. "Love in itself is what binds people together…it can no more control the fates of people than divine the future. It is merely a connection. Your love for your parents keeps you close to them, but it has no control over destiny. We make our own destinies."

"Onii-sama…It's just that…I don't want to lose anymore loved ones…" Sakuya said, looking up at her siblings around the room. "They…they're all I have left…you're all I have left…and I don't want to lose that, ever." Sakuya looked at her brother. "Now...I'll make my own destiny...I never want to be separated from everyone anymore...We'll always be together, right?"

"Forever, Sakuya-chan…" Keitaro said, pulling her towards him. "Forever. That's my promise as a brother." The shadows falling across his face from the moonlight made him seem a lot older. The light shining off his eyes gave her a strange sense of comfort. She snuggled into his shoulder and closed her eyes, feeling safe in the knowledge that she was with her brother. That was all she needed.

* * *

"This is a real otsuya!" Mitsune shouted as she staggered towards the other end of the grand room. "Look at all the beer! All the sake!" she hiccupped, falling down beside the others and dragging herself up into a sitting position. 

"Hey…pay more respect…this IS an otsuya, not some bachelor party." Naru said, reproachfully.

"Aw…come on, don't…hiccup…be like…ugh…that!" She managed, swigging down more sake from a bottle. "TO THE URASHIMAS!" She shouted. Thankfully, everyone else was too absorbed in what they were doing to hear her.

"Sempai…he's been so busy since we got here…we never got to talk to him…" Shinobu sighed.

"That's true…he's been so very busy…" Motoko said, nodding. "Being an older sibling is obviously a big responsibility."

"Hiccup…where's our boy…I need to…hiccup…thank him for all this…booze…" Mitsune moaned.

"There's so much food!" Suu cried happily. "It's food! It's all food!" She danced past them, downing two chicken legs in a go while balancing a tower of cakes on both hands.

"Oh God…we look like country bumpkins out in town for the first time…" Naru sighed, slapping her forehead in exasperation.

"Heya, girls!" Haitani sauntered up to them. Shirai trailed behind, a few beers in his hands. "Having fun?"

"It's a funeral…" Naru glared icily at them. One of her hands was busy restraining Mitsune from going off and flirting with a particularly nice looking distant relation of Keitaro. Her other hand was busy restraining Suu from trying to assault one of the maids carrying in food.

"Ah, lighten up…" Haitani sighed, as if trying to explain 1 + 1 2 to a particularly stubborn child. "It's an otsuya after all. No need to be so huffed up like that." He sat down beside Naru. "Whaddya say we go hit the liquor stand together?" He offered, holding up a rose.

"I'll give you one yet, you…." A large vein popped on Naru's forehead as she reared back her fist. A few seconds later found Haitani plastered into the woodwork at the other end of the room.

"I thought the two of you were going home this afternoon…" Naru rubbed her fist, turning her attention to Shirai.

"Oh, we decided to stay the night, seeing as the funeral's tomorrow anyway." Shirai said. "Might as well go the full 100 yards…besides, missing the otsuya would be a real pity." He smiled. "Though I haven't had the chance to see any of Keitaro's pretty little sisters…" he added, partly to himself. "Which is the real pity…"

"Gah…No wonder you're his friends…." Naru sighed. "Birds of a feather flock together…"

"Oh! Oh! It's sempai!" Shinobu cried, pointing out a nearby window. Indeed it was Keitaro, walking alone out in the dark courtyard towards the grand hall. A smaller figure ran up to him before leading him away another direction. The falling snow obscured them slightly.

"He's leaving with someone…oh, must be one of his sisters…" Naru commented, looking out the window alongside Shinobu.

"One of the cute ones?" Shirai asked, coming up to the window in a hurry.

"It…must be so nice, having a big brother like Keitaro-sempai…" Shinobu sighed wistfully.

"Nice?" Naru asked. "Well…perhaps…though I wonder if he peeks in on them bathing…"

"Haha! That's a good one!" Mitsune laughed as she started to quaff her beer. There is a very significant difference between drinking and quaffing. In order to quaff properly, you must be at least drunk enough to spill at least half the drink, while puking out the other half.

* * *

"Ani-chama, Mizuki-chan'd like to show you something Mizuki-chan found…" Mizuki said, leading her brother to one of the smaller side pavilions. She turned around as she reached the door. The steam from the two cups of cocoa she held partially obscured her face. 

"Isn't this…the old calligraphy house?" Keitaro asked, in English off course.

"Yes…" Mizuki said, sliding the door open. The air inside was cold, yet fresh, signifying that it had been in frequent use just recently. She set down the two cups of cocoa on a nearby table and proceeded to light up the paper lamps in the room.

"Wow…" Keitaro couldn't keep in his awe as he looked around. There was pile upon pile of scrolls lining both sides of the room beside the door. In the middle of the room was a raised platform, partially obscured by a thin white curtain.

On the platform was a calligraphy sandbox. A number of large sand calligraphy styluses leaned against a nearby wooden stand. On one edge of the raised platform was a stand full of brushes of varying sizes, from small brushes for minute work on rice grains to gigantic brushes for full scale wall scrolls.

At the end of the room, opposite the door, a gigantic paper scroll hung on the wall.

"Mizuki-chan thinks…this is Oto-sama's handwriting…" Mizuki said, indicating the large paper scroll. On it was a single, beautifully drawn calligraphic letter, drawn in black ink in even, gentle strokes.

"It is…" Keitaro said, walking up to it. "Do you know what it spells, Mizuki-chan?"

"No…but Mizuki-chan knows it's kanji (A form of Japanese lettering, derived from Chinese calligraphy)."

"It spells…Kazoku…" Keitaro said. He turned to face Mizuki. "Do you know what it means?"

"No…" Mizuki shook her head slowly.

"It means…family…" Keitaro said, admiring the gigantic piece of calligraphic art. "Keiko-chan would know more about the intricacies of this letter, but each and every stroke has a specific significance…they make up the essence of the word." Keitaro explained.

"Oh…" Mizuki stood beside her brother and looked at the gigantic scroll for any elusive hidden meanings. There weren't any.

"You're looking for hidden messages within the picture, aren't you?" Keitaro asked.

Mizuki looked up at her brother in surprise, but nodded all the same.

"You won't find any…that's what's so interesting about the word 'kazoku', it's clear and simple, with no secrets or hidden meanings. Though each and every stroke has its own significance, they mean nothing without the others. Together, they make up one of the most beautiful letters in the Japanese kanji, 'kazoku'." Keitaro sighed.

"Oh…" Mizuki seemed to ponder on this for a moment. "But…this seems very recent…which means Oto-sama drew it not too long ago." She walked over to the calligraphy sandbox. "The letter is still here in the sandbox too…which means Oto-sama must've practiced it first before drawing it out on the scroll. The lines in the sand are still very fine…it couldn't have been more than three days ago." She said, looking up at her brother.

"Haha, playing Sherlock Homes again, Mizuki?" Keitaro chuckled.

"Bro, this is serious…it seems as if…Oto-sama is trying to tell us something…" Mizuki looked up at the scroll again.

"He might be…" Keitaro smiled. "The message is clear, isn't it?" He asked in a knowing sort of way.

"But….but…" Mizuki looked at her brother. "It's…too much of a coincidence…"

"Don't ponder over those kinds of things too much…he might just have felt a fancy for it…" Keitaro smiled. "Besides…the writing in the sandbox is Oka-sama's. Not Oto-sama's….therefore, your theory that this scroll was drawn within the past 3 days has holes in it…elementary, my dear Watson." He chuckled.

"Ah! No fair, Ani-chama!" Mizuki wailed, pouting playfully at her brother. Keitaro pulled her cheeks teasingly.

"Your hypothesis could still use a bit of work…" Keitaro chuckled good naturedly. "For example…you failed to notice that the large brush that was most likely used for this scroll is still standing on the drying stand." Keitaro gestured at the back of the room where indeed a large brush was sitting on the drying stand. "If indeed it was used for this scroll, then Oto-sama had drawn this scroll just before they left. The brushes are always replaced back on their stands a day after."

"Ah…" Mizuki's eyes turned white in shock. She could feel the three letters, QED, fall down heavily on her head.

"But…I'm sure you've noticed that the calligraphy sandbox wasn't cleared…" Keitaro hinted.

"Yes…it normally is cleared after a letter is complete….which means…" Realization dawned on Mizuki's face. "Oka-sama left it on purpose!" She exclaimed, punching the palm of her hand. "Which means she left it for us to read…knowing she'd…" She looked up at her brother in horror.

"Nice logical leaping there, Agatha Christie…but off course, there's still the possibility that it's just a coincidence…Oka-sama might have forgotten to erase it before she left." Keitaro shrugged. "Or someone might have forgotten to replace the brushes the day after. Anyway, if our parents did know anything about their impending deaths, they would have taken steps to prevent it. They are parents after all."

"Yes…that is true…" Mizuki sighed. "But…indeed…it is a nice message for Oto-sama and Oka-sama to leave us. Each means nothing without the others…only when it's complete does it possess a meaning – family…"

"It is a good letter." Keitaro nodded in agreement.

"Ani-chama…can we really make it as a family? Without Oka-sama and Oto-sama?" Mizuki asked, a few tears running down her face as she suddenly remembered they were now an orphaned family.

"Who says it's going to be without Oka-sama and Oto-sama?" Keitaro asked, pulling his little sister close. "They'll be with us, every step of the way. And we'll pull through this, paddle or no paddle."

"I…I want us to be a family again…one with a complete meaning…" Mizuki said, embracing her brother.

"We will be. Oka-sama and Oto-sama's words will be our guide. Each and every one of us makes up the kazoku." Keitaro said. Together they regarded the scroll for some time. The light of the lamps danced across it, casting strange shadows across the wall on the back. A draught found a hole somewhere and blew across the calligraphy sandbox, erasing the letter slightly.

* * *

"I was wondering where you two went off to…" Rinrin said, walking up to them through the snow-laden courtyard. The snow was still gently spiraling down through the dark sky. 

"Where's Chiikage-neechama?" Mizuki asked.

"She went back to the kitchen for something, I think. She said something about making cocoa for everyone." Rinrin said, warming her hands.

"Cocoa for everyone? Oh, I'll go help then." Mizuki said. "Ani-chama, Rinrin-neechama, you two can go ahead. I'll catch up with Chiikage-neechama later." She said, before running away in the direction of the kitchen.

"Mizuki-chan…always so helpful…" Keitaro said, shaking his head.

"Yes…she is…" Rinrin sighed. "I wish I knew her better…I wish I knew everyone better…"

"Rinrin-chan…" Keitaro looked down at his sister.

"I…I've regretted…not knowing my parents as well as I should have…" She said, looking down at the frost covered ground. "I feel like…I haven't been a good daughter…"

"Knowing someone…is like knowing snow…" Keitaro stretched out his hand. A few snowflakes spiraled down onto it. "There are so many different snowflakes that make up snow…each and every one different, each unique and special…and yet, you will never be able to see and understand each and every one of them." Keitaro said, looking up at the sky.

"But look around you…all these snowflakes make up snow…beautiful, crisp, snow. We know snow well, though we don't know its individual pieces." Keitaro looked down at his sister again. "What we see is the large picture, made up of all these microscopic fragments. And that large picture is all the more beautiful…"

"Aniki…" Rinrin murmured.

"When we know someone, we know them for who they are. All the smaller details merely contribute towards this identity." Keitaro said. "There's no such thing as not knowing someone enough, just as you can't not know snow enough. You could only know people better, just as you look closer at each individual snowflake."

"Then…I want to get to know you better, Aniki" She said, embracing her brother. "…I want to get to know everyone…I want to be as close to everyone as possible." Rinrin said, one hand still around Keitaro's waist while the other stretching towards the falling snowflakes. "I won't waste my opportunities anymore…"

"Don't worry, Rinrin-chan. We'll all be as close as close could be, all together, all one family." Keitaro said, holding her close.

* * *

The inside of the grand (make-shift) coffin hall was almost a complete white the next morning, with white chrysanthemums and a variety of other white flowers lining almost every inch of the walls. No expense had been spared in the ceremony preparations. Everything had been done to the letter. 

The altars bearing the photographs of the parents, both smiling warmly, were still there. Huge sticks of incense wafted sickly sweet fragrances across the hall. A number of Japanese Shinto monks had been called in to perform the ceremony. The chants, clash of cymbals, and cacophony of knockings on the prayer bowls filled the room. Otherwise, there was a deep respectful silence.

A number of Christian priests had been called in as well. They watched the proceedings with polite interest as they awaited their turn at the far end of the hall.

The guests, drunken with revelry the day before, had put on their most solemn facades this morning. At the front, the family, arrayed in order of age, were seated, starting with, off course, the parents of the deceased (including Grandma Hina), then siblings ( including Haruka), followed by children, all wearing black. All were kneeling in grieving silence.

The sisters were all crying quietly. The impulse to cry was contagious. It had started with Hinako and worked its way up through the ranks towards Sakuya. Even Kanako couldn't help but shed a few tears. All were trying to comfort one another quietly, giving one another gentle words of comfort, which seemed lost on themselves all the same. Keitaro, on the other hand, was a stone statue.

After the chants came the last respects. The coffins lids were opened and shifted halfway down. A tray filled to bursting with chrysanthemums, lilies, and an assortment of other flowers, was placed atop the lids. One by one the family members stood up, again in order of age, from eldest down, and took a flower from the tray. Grandma Hina went first. She picked up two chrysanthemums and placed it reverently in her son and daughter-in-law's coffins.

There really was nothing to see inside the coffins. The contents had mostly been obscured by a white cloth. It was difficult to even judge whether or not there were bodies inside. All the same, Grandma Hina spent quite some time staring into the coffins. She finally shook her head slowly, maybe unconsciously, before walking away and resuming her seat.

When Haruka's turn came, she stood still for quite some time. Tears were streaming down her cheeks but her face was a stone mask, maintaining its usual seemingly bored expression.

And finally Keitaro's turn came. As he stepped up to the coffins he found his knees weaken. His entire body stiffened as he saw the white cloths inside the coffins. He just wasn't able to hold it in anymore. Tears brimmed in his eyes as he laid down his flowers. He felt as if he couldn't leave them. No, he just couldn't. But the commanding force of ceremonious protocol finally moved his feet for him as he moved aside for his sisters. Kanako and Sakuya looked up at their brother before putting down their flowers.

Keitaro had to lift up Marie, Karen, Aria, Kaho, Hinata, and Hinako to the coffins to allow them to pay their final respects. Hinako and Hinata, after placing their flowers, completely broke down, wailed, and clung onto their brother. Luckily, they were the last, so Keitaro just carried them both back to the seats.

Just as they were taking turns hammering the coffin nails with the ceremonious pieces of igneous rock, a loud screeching sound sounded outside the hall.

Everyone looked towards the hall doors. A number of footsteps were rapidly approaching. The doors suddenly opened roughly as a number of people entered. At the front was a young woman, perhaps still in her early 20s, wrapped in a black coat and black skirt. Behind were a number of girls, in ages ranging from slightly younger than the woman up front to little girls who were probably only 4 or 5.

"Oh…I'm sorry…am I late? For the inheritance announcement, I mean." She asked, chuckling as she walked up the aisle.

"Marciano…" Matsura stood up and barred the aisle. "We thought…you weren't coming."

"Ah, well, you'd hope that, won't you? Then you could grub the legacy all to yourself…but not while I'm here." She said, pushing Matsura roughly aside.

"H…hey!" Matsura shouted. "This is a funeral!"

"Really? Well, I don't have much time for such trivialities…so let's skip to the more important bits while I'm still here." She said, extending a hand to one of the girls behind her. There were exactly 12 of them in all. One of the 12 came forwards and handed Marciano a brown envelope.

"Hey…You might be busy and all…" Haruka stood up, hands crossed, scowl in place. "But in here, I won't tolerate any crap…"

"Oh…Haruka…still here, serving the family?" Marciano chuckled. "You old busybody…Well, enough of that. I'm just here to announce my ownership of the legacy." She said, opening the envelope with a flourish.

Everyone in the hall gasped.

"WHAT!" Matsura shouted, running up to her. "What's the meaning of this!"

"I personally witnessed the young master and miss sign their last will and testament!" Sasaki-san shouted, standing up in rage. "The legacy was left in the hands of Urashima Keitaro and his sisters!"

"Not anymore it isn't…" Marciano said, a smug smile adorning her face. "State law states that wills signed on later dates automatically render the earlier ones irrelevant." She said, pulling out a wad of papers from the envelope. "And I have witnesses. My legal advisor is here with the official items…the letter was even signed in front of a court judge…and you're saying you want to make a case out of a letter signed in front of a best friend and the head-maid?" She laughed.

"WHAT!" Sasaki-san, Matsura, Haruka, and Grandma Hina shouted in disbelief. Keitaro, slightly confused, was now looking on the whole thing with an expression of worried apprehension.

"What? Are you looking for trouble?" One of the older girls with Marciano asked Keitaro.

"No…" Keitaro replied, shaking his head. "No, sorry…"

"Onii-chan!" Kanako cried. "What are you apologizing for!" She shouted as she stood up. "YOU! You dare speak rudely to my brother!"

"SILENCE!" Marciano shouted. "THIS!" She shouted again, holding up the letter. "Is the last will and testament signed by the late Urashimas, leaving the entire Urashima legacy to ME!"

"That is true…there is no way around it. As Lady Marciano's legal advisor, I can say that everything stated here is true." A balding bespectacled man said beside Marciano. "You know you haven't got a case, Matsura. You just don't." He smirked at Matsura.

"Rokubunji…" Matsura scowled at the balding man. "You…this conspiracy…you know that common sense will see through the whole thing…why would these parents leave this distant, disgusting relative with their entire fortune and leave their children nothing? I can even argue they weren't sound of mind, if I need to…that legacy rightfully belongs to their children!" He shouted.

"Well…common sense…money can buy a lot of common sense…" Rokubunji smiled an ugly smile at Matsura. "and since all the money will be on our side…well…I think the case is in the bag…" He patted his lawyer's bag.

"Damn you, Rokubunji…." Matsura swore. "I'll fight you all to the death! The last wishes of my best friends must be carried out!" He shouted, raising his fist.

"Stop…" A bespectacled man with a stubble wearing a battered lab coat over a crumpled black shirt with the sleeves turned up and a pair of matching black trousers said, holding onto Matsura's fist. "I know how you feel…but at this point, punching him won't solve anything…if it did, I'd have been the first to send him through the wall…"

"Listen to the man, Matsura." Rokubunji smiled, wiping off the sweat off his brow. He had yelped when Matsura raised his fist. Now he was trying his best to regain his composure.

"Now…do what you can and fight this man in court…it might be a losing battle but you said you'd die trying…" the man released Matsura's fist.

"You don't have to tell me twice. Justice will be done." Matsura said, glaring at Rokubunji. The bespectacled man in the lab coat, meanwhile, walked over to Haruka who proceeded to ignore him.

"Well…that settles it…though there's still the issue of the children. I'm not that heartless, and I'm willing to take care of the Urashima brats." Marciano said, looking over at the Urashima sisters behind Keitaro.

"No!" Kanako shouted.

"We want to stay with our brother!" Some of the sisters shouted. Others chorused 'yes!'.

"Well…what'll it be, wonder boy?" Marciano said, smirking at Keitaro. "Do you want to reduce you sisters to living in poverty along with you, just as you brats deserve, or would you take advantage of my kindness and leave them in my hands?" Marciano asked.

Keitaro's expression was completely unreadable. It was a mix of worry and fear, coupled with sudden helplessness. He had off course been counting on the inheritance to help him bring up his sisters. But now, with no support whatsoever, he was faced with a dilemma. He sure as hell didn't want to ruin his sisters' lives…but at this point both choices seemed to lead to that.

He gulped. "You….you promise to take care of them?" He asked.

"Onii-sama!" Sakuya shouted. "What are you saying!"

"Anigimi-sama!" Keiko shouted. "You promised us!"

"Aniki!" Rinrin cried. "You said we'd be together forever!"

"Nii-sama!" Shirayuki cried. "You promised you'd never leave Hime-chan!"

"Ani-kun." Chiikage said. "There's no way I can keep on going without you."

"Aniue-sama…please…I beg of you, don't leave us." Marie said, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Nii-ya!" Aria ran up to her brother and folded her arms around him. "Nii-ya said Nii-ya would always be with Aria-chan! You can't leave us!"

"Onii-chan…" tears flooded Karen's eyes. "You…you're not planning on leaving us, are you?"

Kaho ran up to her brother and hung onto him, looking up at him with watery eyes. She shook her head rapidly and clung on tighter.

"Onii-tama!" Hinako wailed. "If Onii-tama leaves Hina-tan, Hina-tan will cry!"

"Onii-chama!" Hinata cried. "Please…don't leave us…"

"Ani-chama!" Mizuki shouted, tears streaming down her face. "What happened to our 'kazoku'? Didn't you promise! What happened to 'paddle or no paddle'!"

"I…" Keitaro shut his eyes. "I…"

"What are you worrying about, Onii-chan?" Kanako asked. "We're a family, and families pull together. There's no need for you to carry the entire burden by yourself."

"Kanako is right, Keitaro." Grandma Hina said. "And families never abandon one another. Remember that."

"I'm not abandoning them…it's just that…" Keitaro looked down at his sisters, all of whom had clustered around him, looking up at him beseechingly. "I don't have the means…"

"You're worried about means!" Haruka shouted. "Grow a backbone, nephew!" She barked. "We're all in this together. You're not alone!"

"Yeah, baka." Mitsune stood up and shouted from behind.

"Sempai! We…We're behind you!" Shinobu shouted.

"You never were standing alone, baka." Naru said, crossing her arms, striding up the aisle towards them. "What did you see us as?"

"If it's money you need, then we can just make it!" Suu shouted, taking out a portable printer and taking the phrase 'making money' to an all new literary meaning.

"That's illegal Kaolla!" Shinobu cried, her eyes spinning.

"Samurais must help the weak." Motoko said, still seated. She didn't say anything else.

"Hey man, this is what friends are for." Haitani said, his eyes sparkling dramatically.

"Yeah. Count on us!" Shirai said, winking.

"Yes! We'll all help!" Sakuya shouted. "Won't we?" She asked the sisters.

"Yeah, we're kazoku!" Mizuki shouted.

"We'll do it together!" Rinrin shouted. Their words were almost drowned by a chorus of cheers and words of encouragement from the other sisters.

"…thank you…everyone…" Keitaro said, not being able to hold back the tears. "They're my family…I'm not handing them to anyone!" Keitaro said to Marciano levelly.

"Are you sure? You do know that to be a guardian, you must have a…what do they call it again? Ah…yes, a solid income…" She made an emphasis on the last word while gloating at Keitaro.

"Wait…there's a clause that says that the closer of the relatives volunteering to be a guardian, as long as he or she is of legal age, and should they have no source of income as yet, is allowed to have a probation period within which they must find a secure source of income. Within that probation period, he or she is allowed custody of the children in question." Matsura said, reading the clause off word for word as if he had a law book in front of him.

"Is that true?" Marciano turned to her legal advisor.

"It is…" Rokubunji said, raising his glasses as he looked through a law book he had in one hand. "Yes…he is entitled to a probationary period of 6 months…starting on the month after the case is put forwards…which means he would have until June next year."

"No…July next year." Matsura corrected, slightly triumphant. "Since the eve of the parents' death was after the closing period of this legal year, the case is automatically set to be put forwards in January…thus the 6 month period is counted starting February."

"Well…we'll see…what kind of income this brat could scrounge up in half a year...haha, that's something I'd like to see." Marciano laughed. The tension in the room was at breaking point. The elder of the girls behind Marciano were fighting a mental war with the elder of the Urashima sisters. "Oh well…" Marciano sighed. "Your loss. I can't care less." She said, turning around and walking away down the aisle towards the doors. "I want the house emptied by the end of the day." She added, before leaving.

"The t…" Haruka muttered.

"In the middle of a funeral too…" Grandma Hina sighed. "Where on earth did she get that will? My son and daughter-in-law wouldn't have signed such a will…not even if their lives were at stake…"

"It must be a fake of some sort…but how to prove it…" Kanako's eyes narrowed.

"What matters now is how we're supposed to finance the sisters…" Haruka sighed, looking around at the sisters who were crying with joy around Keitaro. "We might have acted all high and mighty…but now…"

"First things first…" Grandma Hina gestured at the coffins. "We've got a funeral to finish…"

* * *

The rest of the funeral proceeded smoothly without any more interruptions, though the mood was a lot drearier than before. Instead of a normal Christian burial, the Urashimas had requested a Kasouba (a Japanese cremation). 

Keitaro's mind was continually bothered by the thoughts of having to raise his little sisters on pretty much nothing. He didn't have a job, he was a penniless student, the Hinata Sou's rent barely paid for monthly maintenance….it was just impossible no matter how he looked at it. And he couldn't bear the thought of any of them working part-time just to make ends-meet, which he was sure they'd do just to help him out.

He kept on thinking that he should've just handed them over to Marciano…then he cursed himself for thinking it and went back to worrying.

The flames of the crematorium flickered across the eyes of the siblings as they watched the coffins go up in flames. It was the only hint of life in them at that point as they said their final silent goodbyes to their parents. Nothing remained but the ashes.

At the end of it all, Keitaro, being the eldest (and only) son, was handed the two urns containing the ashes, all wrapped up in embroidered silk sheets. He felt how heavy they were…these two bodies that had borne the burden of a life with 14 children.

These were people who never made excuse…people who pulled through thick and thin…people who always kept their promises to the end…

He was their son, and he had made a promise…now as things turned thin, he was making excuses. He kicked himself mentally as he realized what a fool he had been for even hesitating.

This burden was his now…his parents had entrusted him with it…and he'd be damned if he ever messed up. He turned around and looked at his sisters. A fierce new fire raged in his eyes.

There was no way he could ever fail now…his life was no longer his own, he knew that. He was now living for his parents and for the lives of his sisters. There was no more room for weakness. He was now fighting for something far more valuable than life itself.

"We'll make it." He said, confidently. "I know we will. I've promised you, Oka-sama, Oto-sama, and I will keep that promise."

* * *

To be continued… 

Keitaro's really starting to seem like some sort of emotional counseling service for his sisters. Then again, that's what big brothers are for, isn't it?

Even with all that talk about staying together, it seems actually staying together will prove a lot tougher than promising to. Will the siblings make it through? Will they manage to keep their fledgling little family together? Find out in the next chapter of Sister Princess! Finally! The Sibling's first day in Hinata Sou!

For character profiles, sneak peaks, previews of upcoming chapters, for Sister Princess as well as my other works, feel free to visit our Fan Works Forum, the Unlimited Fan Works, accessible through the homepage link on our profile. Thank You.

Glossary of Japanese terms:

Terms and words:

Otsuya: Japanese funeral reception, basically the time when all the mourners get together to eat and drink the night away.

Oshoushiki: Japanese Funeral ceremony

'kazoku' – family

'kanji' – Japanese calligraphy derived from Chinese calligraphy

Kasouba: Japanese cremation


	5. Chp5:A Home

Sister Princess chp5: A Home

By Zenithos

Yet another round of thanks for the really supportive reviews! Every single one means a lot to me. I'm still an inexperienced writer, so every bit of feedback, comments, and even flames, if need be, are really helpful. Thanks everyone!

* * *

Urashima Kaho's diary, 21st of December, 1998 

Dear Diary,

A lot of things happened today, but what Kaho-chan remembers most is how Ani-sama saved Kaho-chan. Ani-sama was so heroic. But Kaho-chan hopes Ani-sama's all right.

Today we said our goodbyes to oka-sama and oto-sama. Everyone was crying. Everyone was so sad. We gave oka-sama and oto-sama some flowers as we said goodbye. But a really mean woman came in while we were still saying goodbye. She was really rude. Karen-chan didn't understand what she said, but Kaho-chan thinks she was trying to steal something from Ani-sama. She also tried to take us away from Ani-sama but Ani-sama wouldn't let her. He loves us too much. Kanako-oneechan was really angry with her and I think the adults had a fight.

We went to a really far place where there was a big white building. They brought oka-sama and oto-sama's coffins there too. The coffins were burned. Kaho-chan thinks Ani-sama said they were 'cremated'. Kaho-chan still doesn't know what the word means. Kaho-chan didn't see oka-sama and oto-sama inside. The fire was too big. Ani-sama made a promise to us. He promised that he will take care of us. And that he will never leave us. He likes making that promise. But Kaho-chan likes it. Because Ani-sama never breaks promises with Kaho-chan.

That mean woman took our home. Kaho-chan really likes our home, but Kaho-chan doesn't want to live there if that woman is there too. Kaho-chan wants to live with Ani-sama, because Kaho-chan loves Ani-sama so much. Ani-sama told us to pack our belongings. My bag was really heavy when I finished.

We did a lot of things at our new home. Kaho-chan will tell you about it tomorrow. Kaho-chan is sleepy now. Today was really long. Goodnight.

PS: Oka-sama's flower is doing very well. It won't be long until it blooms.

Love,

Urashima Kaho-chan

* * *

The sun was quite high in the sky when they finally returned to the Urashima residence after the long journey from the crematorium. As the siblings walked through the front gates they already felt the feelings of not belonging. It was no longer their home. 

It was obvious that there was not going to be a follow-up otsuya, as is traditionally the case. All the funeral guests had gone home, knowing full well this fact.

Keitaro ran his hands along the ancient woodwork of the walls as they walked along one of the large main corridors of the main pavilion. These halls have been the home of the Urashima clan for many generations. Those days were over now. The last of the Urashima clan was finally leaving the house for good.

Keitaro watched as the Urashima family servants slowly removed the Urashima family personal effects and carefully packed them away. It felt as if he was some sort of intruder on a purification rite as all around him the servants continued on working quietly. The Urashima family servants had already packed a lot of their items for them and had placed them in the main pavilion.

"Nii-ya…" Aria pulled on Keitaro's sleeve for attention as they walked on through the corridors. "Are we leaving already?"

"Yes, we are, Aria-chan. We've got a new home now." Keitaro said, patting her gently. "Sasaki-san…about the household staff…" Keitaro asked Sasaki-san.

"Oh, them?" A young, long-blonde-haired woman in a black gothic dress asked as she approached the Urashima siblings. "They're fired."

"F…fired?" Keitaro asked, aghast. Sasaki didn't seem surprised. She did, however, make no effort to conceal her anger. Many of the servants in the area looked up with an expression of utter shock.

"January-neechan…" A bespectacled, orange haired girl in a white gothic dress said to the first one reproachfully. "The term is 'let go', not 'fire'."

"It doesn't matter anyway, February. The fact is, they don't work here anymore." The young woman named January said, smiling a smug smile, not unlike Marciano's.

"You were the girls with Marciano…" Kanako said, her eyes narrowing as she sized up her potential opponents.

"That's Madame Marciano to you, brat!" January snapped. "Mother has been generous enough to give you time until this evening to clear out…if it was me, I'd have thrown you all out along with the rotting remains of your parents this morning."

"What did you say?" Kanako asked quietly. The elder Urashima sisters glared at the girl, the incarnation of pure anger in their eyes.

"Can't hear you, sunshine!" January shouted at Kanako.

"I…asked….you...WHAT DID YOU SAY??!!!" Kanako shouted, advancing. "YOU DARE INSULT MY PARENTS?!" Her eyes flared as her hands closed into fists.

"Kanako-chan!" Keitaro cried, holding onto her shoulder. "No! That's enough…she's provoking you on purpose."

"Yes, Kanako-chan. It's best if you keep a cool head." Sasaki-san said, nodding in agreement.

"Listen to your brother, brat." January chuckled. "So you can grow up into a proper coward like him."

"Nobody insults my brother…" Kanako growled.

"You dare call Onii-sama a coward?!" Sakuya shouted, advancing on January. "Do you even know who you're talking about?!"

"Insulting Anigimi-sama is a sin beyond name…" Keiko said, keeping calm while advancing alongside Sakuya.

"You're really asking for it…" Rinrin cracked her knuckles.

Chiikage remained where she was, at the back. She was holding onto a crucifix around her neck and rapidly murmuring something. Amidst her rapid, incoherent whispers, some words were distinguishable, "Anger begets hatred….hatred leads to death…"

"No! Onee-chan!" Karen shouted, pulling on Keiko and Rinrin. "You musn't!"

"Nii-ya…Aria-chan is scared…" Aria whispered, pulling on Keitaro's sleeves again. "Everyone's so angry…it makes Aria-chan scared…" Keitaro gently pulled her closer to himself, gently caressing her hair to comfort her.

"So…you people really want trouble…" Another girl appeared behind them. She had short, spiky white hair, and was dressed in a slightly revealing black gothic dress. "Sep, March, July…don't hesitate if they try anything funny."

"Yes, May-neechan." Said the one addressed as July, a seemingly pleasant, brown haired pony-tailed girl with a calm smile. She too was dressed in a black gothic dress. Another, young girl with black hair tied into twin tails, nodded when the girl named May called out the name 'March'.

A long-brown-haired girl in a maid's costume, apparently named 'Sep', also advanced and grinned at the Urashima siblings.

The Urashima siblings found themselves surrounded from both sides of the hallway by the Marciano's sisters.

"We don't want any trouble. Seriously." Keitaro said. "We're just here to pick up our stuff, then we're off."

"Ani-chama!" Mizuki cried. "We can't let them get away with insulting our parents and you!"

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" Shirayuki cried at Marciano's sisters.

"Yeah! They can't be mean like that!" Hinata shouted.

"Hinata-tan…" Hinako held onto Hinata's shoulders. "Don't…we're no match…"

"Well…if you know what's good for you, then you'd leave, as soon as possible." January said, crossing her arms. "Go on, we're not stopping you." She stepped aside. "Grab your rubbish and scram."

"Let's go…there's no need for unnecessary violence. Don't give them what they want." Keitaro said, gesturing his sisters along. "Come on."

Suddenly, there was a loud crash from the back of the house. Keitaro looked around in a panic and realized Kaho was nowhere to be seen. He instinctively turned and ran towards the back of the house.

"Onii-chan!" Kanako cried after him.

"Look after the others!" Keitaro shouted. "I'll be back!"

* * *

As he rounded the back of the main pavilion he was greeted by a most terrible sight. 

There, where the greenhouse was supposed to be, was a crumbling frame of twisted metal bedecked with pieces of shattered glass. Beside it were a number of men in black carrying sledgehammers. Standing on the sidelines was a number of girls from Marciano's group.

He barely spied out the shivering form of Kaho inside the greenhouse. He cried out, "STOP!" as he bounded for Kaho.

The men in black once again raised their sledgehammers. Keitaro's pleas fell on deaf ears as they lowered their sledgehammers.

Keitaro leapt forwards through a gap in the tortured metal frame straight towards Kaho.

There was a resounding crash, a creak of tortured metal, and a final tinkling and smashing of glass, a loud crushing sound, followed by a dreadful silence.

Kaho had shut her eyes tight before what remained of the frame crashed down on her. She had braced herself for the pain, and possibly, death. But it never came. She blinked her eyes open slowly and looked around.

The flower pot she had dashed in to save was intact, along with her mother's last flower. A few flecks of snow coupled with glass fragments gently fell on its now flourishing leaves.

She looked around, wondering why she hadn't been squashed by the collapsing greenhouse. Her mouth opened in a silent expression of shock as she saw her brother leaning over her, wincing with pain.

"A…Are you all right, Kaho-chan?" Keitaro asked, holding his position. A large bit of the metal frame had collapsed on his back and he was fighting to keep it up. Not to mention his back had been sprayed by thousands of glass shards. "I…I see you got…oka-sama's last flower…" Kaho reached up and grasped her brother. She gasped silently as she felt something wet. She pulled back her hands and saw that they were red.

"You idiot!" A voice shouted from outside. "You could've been killed!" It was one of Marciano's girls. This one had long black hair, tied back with a ribbon. "What on earth were you…oh…we didn't notice her…" She said, noticing Kaho. "I don't suppose…an apology would be enough?" She asked.

'Well…this one is slightly different…' Keitaro mused as the girl ran over and started to heave the metal frame off Keitaro. She was surprisingly strong for such a petite girl. "Hey, you two!" She shouted at the two men in black. "Help me out here!"

"Yes, April-san." The men replied obediently.

Four other girls ran in to help heave up the remains of the greenhouse. "August, Ocia, Nove, Diesse, lift that one over there!" She commanded the four. August seemed to be one of the younger ones, with plaited golden blonde hair topped off with a top hat. Her gothic dress was half-covered with a thick black travelling cloak. Ocia, Nove, and Diesse seemed to be the youngest of the group, seemingly only 5 or 6. They were identical in hair style (short hair tied back with a cute maid's hair band), clothing (white, long gothic dresses), and facial features. The only things that differed between the three were probably their backpacks, with the one named Diesse carrying what looked like a red rabbit, Nove a green frog, and Ocia a brown kitty.

Amazingly, Keitaro noted, despite their sizes, the girls had super strength.

"Nii-ya!" Aria-chan cried as she approached. "Nii-ya! Is Nii-ya hurt?!"

"What happened here?!" Keiko demanded as she reached the scene. "Did you hurt Anigimi-sama?!" She shouted. "KAHO-CHAN!" She cried, noticing Kaho shivering under Keitaro.

"No…no…it wasn't intentional!" Keitaro shouted. "They were just knocking down the greenhouse…they didn't know Kaho was inside…" Keitaro explained, gingerly getting onto his feet as the last of the metal frames was raised off him by the younger Marciano girls.

A shower of glass shards fell from his bruised back as he slowly got up. He winced slightly as he got down to pick up Kaho who was too afraid to move.

"Well…err…thanks…" Keitaro said, nodding at the Marciano sisters who just helped him out of the wreckage.

"Just be more careful next time." April said, "We don't want to have to clear up the mess if anything bad happens." She said, turning away, suddenly acting gruff. "Come, Diesse, Nove, Ocia, August. We've got more work to do."

"Ok…let's clear out before anymore accidents happen…" Keitaro said.

"Aniue-sama!" Marie cried. "At least allow me to heal you first!" She shouted as Sakuya pushed her wheelchair towards Keitaro.

"Ah…all right." Keitaro said. "But check Kaho first."

Kaho looked up at her brother with an expression of protest and shook her head while pointing at her brother.

"Go on, you go first." Keitaro said, pushing her towards Marie. Marie reached out towards Kaho and shut her eyes in concentration as her palms began to glow gently.

"She's fine…" Marie announced, opening her eyes. "You've protected her well, Aniue-sama. Now, allow me to heal you." She said, raising her arms towards Keitaro. Her palms again glowed a bright white. Slowly but surely, the wounds in Keitaro's skin began to close up and expel pieces of glass. The bruises slowly faded into the skin.

"It's done…" Marie smiled, lowering her arms, leaving Keitaro without a single scratch.

"Wow...amazing as always, Marie-chan." Keitaro smiled, patting his sister on the head. "Now, we've got to pack up. Kanako-chan please keep an eye on the children." He said.

"Yes, Onii-chan." Kanako nodded and smiled. "You did well, Onii-chan." She added.

"Thanks…I've only got a few small things to take care of…" Keitaro said, walking out to the front. "I'll see you all in a moment."

* * *

"Yes, yes, yes…how many times have I got to tell you, you're all fired!" January said, exasperated. The household staff were all gathered in front of the house, all confused with the sudden turn of events. 

"But…we've worked here for so long…you can't let us go just like that…" One old servant said.

"Silence! This place now belongs to Madame Marciano, along with the entire fortune that used to pay for your wages. She calls the shots now. And she says you're all fired! Now get out!" January shouted, before walking away, her nose high up in the air. "Men!" She turned around and addressed the men in black stationed around the house. "I want you to ensure that every one of these people is thrown out in the street in ten minutes!" The men nodded and gave the household staff fearsome looks, daring them to overstay the 10 minutes.

"Ah…" Keitaro was at a sudden loss as he watched the household staff all look at one another in dismay and confusion. They've all served the Urashima family for a really long time. Some, like Sasaki-san, had taken care of them for 3 generations. Some of them had helped raised him and his sisters.

"Everyone…can I…can I please have your attention?!" Keitaro shouted. The staff all turned to look at him, the son of their former employer. "I…I must apologize for what has happened…as you all know, these decisions are no longer up to the Urashima family. We must apologize for losing control of everything and our failure to protect your interests…please, forgive us!" Keitaro shouted, bowing deeply. "I must thank you for everything you've done for my family all these years…I have nothing to repay you with now, so please accept my deepest respects and gratitude."

The Urashima sisters who had followed Keitaro out to the front were all taken by surprise. But they understood their brother's actions and they too bowed deeply and expressed their collective gratitude.

"Keitaro…you don't have to apologize for anything. It's not your fault…" Sasaki-san said, approaching Keitaro. She pulled Keitaro into a close hug. "Oh…little Kei-kun…you've grown into man now…it was as if it was just yesterday I was still teaching your mother, God rest her soul, how to change your diapers…" She chuckled as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Now…you must take care of your sisters…don't worry about us. We'll all manage somehow." She sobbed.

"Keitaro…you're now alone out here in the world…and you've got the entire family depending on you…but don't worry, you are an Urashima. I've raised two generations of Urashimas, and I know you'll be their proudest achievement yet. Your mother and father…they'd cry with pride if they were to see you now…" She slowly let go of him and looked into his eyes. "You look just like your dad…but you've got your mother's gentle smile…God rest their souls…" She chuckled again. "You'll do fine…" She turned to his sisters and gathered them all around her and gave them all tight hugs one by one. "You'll all do fine…You're my little angels…"

The sisters all cried as they hugged the last remaining mother figure they had. Sasaki-san had raised them all up as her own. Now they had to bid even her goodbye as well. The other servants couldn't help but shed a few tears in sorrow as they watched Sasaki-san bid her goodbyes. Makie was sobbing and hiccupping uncontrollably. So was Izumi Ako. To them, the staff of the Urashima household, the job didn't matter as much. But to be separated from this special little family was as painful as losing a loved one.

"Ok, ok, break it up…show's over. You heard my sister, 10 minutes and you're all out!" May shouted, striding up the courtyard. "And you, Urashimas, how long does it take to scavenge your garbage! Get out of here!" She shouted. She grabbed Sasaki-san by the arm and pushed her roughly towards the door.

"HEY!" Keitaro shouted. "You can insult all you like…but the moment you start touching my family…" He advanced on May. "I swear…"

"Enough, Keitaro…" Sasaki-san said, wrenching her arm away from May. "I was just leaving…remember Keitaro, you're responsible for your sisters now…don't let your emotions get the better of you and cause you to put your sisters in danger…" She said, as a number of younger servants gathered around her and shielded her from the rest of Marciano's men.

"What's happening here, Keitaro?!" Grandma Hina shouted as she walked in through the gates. All the servants, though now no longer employed, still respectfully made way for her.

"The staff's been fired…and the Urashimas are leaving…" May said, glaring at Keitaro, before turning around and leaving.

"What?! Fired?!" Grandma Hina cried.

"I didn't expect it to be this bad…" Haruka said, walking in.

"Guys, I've got the vans here." Matsura said, walking in. "Huh? What's just happened?" He asked, noticing all the servants gathered around the front courtyard.

"Everyone…gather your stuff and get them in the vans." Keitaro said to his sisters. "Our stuff should already be packed and ready…just fetch what other things you can. I don't think we should overstay our less than warm welcome here." The sisters all nodded quietly and headed for what were their rooms. The servants all looked at one another before following the sisters.

"Stay back. You must all leave at once…" The men in black said, barring the way of the servants.

"Get out of the way!" A young man in the front shouted, taking off his apron and wrapping it around his waist. "We've still got work to do!"

"You can't just…" The men in black said, before realizing they were up against a horde of angry staff who've just lost their jobs. "Err…be quick about it."

The servants quickly made a human chain and passed out the Urashima's belongings out to the waiting vans outside. Suitcases, boxes of children's books and toys, collections of stuffed animals and dolls…

"E…everyone…" Keitaro's eyes started to water.

"Don't worry, Keitaro-sama. We'll always be there for you!" One young servant shouted.

"Yes, your family has taken good care of us. We won't abandon you to the very end!" Another shouted, to a chorus of cheers from the other staff.

"Keitaro…you do realize that this is only temporary…" Matsura said, having heard the whole story from one of the servants. "We'll win this case…we'll return the legacy to its rightful owner."

"Thank you, Matsura-san. Yes, for the sake of these people too…" Keitaro nodded in agreement.

"I think that's everything, Onii-sama." Sakuya said to Keitaro, leading across the courtyard. Kaho was still hugging the small flower in its small pot. Someone had thoughtfully put a thick plastic bag around it to protect it from the cold weather.

Mizuki had a large sealed plastic tube slung on her back. "What's that?", Keitaro asked.

"This? This is the symbol of our 'kazoku'" she said proudly. "We're taking it home, Ani-chama."

"Haha…" Keitaro couldn't help but chuckle at the idea. But he approved of it all the same. "We'll hang it somewhere everyone can see." He promised. "Now…everyone ready to go home?"

"Yeah!" Everyone shouted in unison.

"Then, let's get this show on the road." Keitaro said, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. "Thank you ever so much everyone." Keitaro bowed to the servants again, who were now allowing themselves to be led out of the compound by the men in black. They all shouted words of encouragement and gratitude back to him and the sisters, wishing them the best of luck and all the happiness in the world. Keitaro and his sisters couldn't help but feel the tears return to their eyes.

As the last of the servants left they too turned towards the gates where Matsura, Haruka and Grandma Hina waited. The turned around briefly to have one last look at their old home. The nameplate bearing the name Urashima by the front door had been roughly pulled out of its place. Otherwise, everything else seemed the same. This was where they had begun their lives, where they had spent most of their lives, and where they grew up together. Now they were finally leaving.

More tears filled their eyes, but they felt no regrets, for now they were about to start a whole new life in a new home. This was the start of a whole new chapter of their lives. This is where it all truly began…

* * *

"Thanks for the help." Keitaro said when they met up with the Hinata girls at a rest stop along the way. 

"No problems." Naru said, smiling. "It wasn't that difficult, letting the guests know about the cancellation of the otsuya."

"Some of them were rather troublesome…" Motoko muttered.

"Yeah," Mitsune grinned, putting one arm around Motoko's shoulder. "Motoko-chan here had to murder a dozen or so of your relatives before everyone got the idea that she wasn't up for grabs…"

"Lecherous perverts…" Motoko muttered.

"Well…I guess now's a good a time as any…" Grandma Hina said, approaching them. Kanako kept up behind her and stood respectfully on her right. "I and Kanako-chan are leaving again. We have some urgent matters to attend to overseas…unfortunately it can't wait." She sighed.

"Aw…Grandma Hina, we were hoping you'd come back and be our manager again." Naru said.

"You already have a very able manager right here." Grandma Hina said, slapping Keitaro on the back. "Besides, what can be better than having a handsome young man for a manager?" She chuckled, winking.

"GRANDMA!" Naru and Motoko exclaimed in protest simultaneously.

"I'll have to ask you girls to take care of him again." Grandma Hina bowed to the girls. "Please, take good care of my grandson."

"Hai." The girls bowed back.

"And please, help him raise those girls. They're still young and they will need a lot of love and care." Grandma Hina added.

"Hai." The girls said again.

"Grandma, are you leaving again?" Shirayuki asked, running up to them. The other sisters followed behind her.

"Yes, I am, Shirayuki-chan." Grandma Hina pulled Shirayuki into a tight hug. She called all of them forwards and hugged them all one by one. "Take good care of your brother, all right? He may be older, but he can be a nuisance to himself sometimes." She chuckled.

"You can count on us, Grandma." Sakuya grinned. All the sisters smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Hey, isn't it the other way around?" Keitaro protested playfully.

"Keitaro." Grandma Hina addressed him sternly. Keitaro looked around at her and gave her his full attention. "You are now in charge of 12 of my granddaughters…are you sure you've got what it takes to responsibly care for them and raise them? Raising children isn't all about giving them piggy back rides whenever they want it. It's about making sure they grow up into responsible, mature, independent adults." Grandma Hina said, a deadly tone in her voice. "There is absolutely no room for mistakes, are we clear?"

Keitaro gulped and nodded. "Yes, grandma." He said. "I promise I'll do my best."

"Well, I'll take your word for it…come here, grandson." She said, spreading her arms and giving him a tight hug. "Your parents would have been proud…they've got the best son any parent could hope for." She said, as tears started to run down her cheeks. "Your life was never easy but it's about to become rougher now. But you'll make it. Because you're you." She smiled as she drew back and looked up at his face. "Make us proud, Keitaro. I know you can." She squeezed his arms, before turning around to leave. "Kanako, aren't you going to say goodbye?" She asked Kanako as she passed her. Kanako smiled, realizing why her grandmother was in such a hurry. She was the kind of woman who hated to let others see her cry. The Hinata girls all accompanied her to the car waiting for her.

"Kanako-chan…" Keitaro started.

"Onii-chan…" Kanako said, blushing.

"I guess this is goodbye again, huh? I'll still write you letters each week, as usual." Keitaro grinned ruffling his sister's hair playfully.

"Thank you, Onii-chan." Kanako looked up into the eyes of the brother she respected and adored. "Do you still remember our promise?"

"Our promise?" Keitaro asked, a look of puzzlement on his face.

"Oh…it doesn't matter." Kanako said, shaking her head slowly. "Please take care, Onii-chan." She said, coming forwards and giving her brother a tight embrace around the waist.

"You too, Kanako-chan." Keitaro said, returning the hug. "Please be careful. And take care of grandma Hina for us."

"I will, Onii-chan." Kanako slowly and reluctantly released her brother. The sisters immediately clustered around their eldest sister and one by one gave her their goodbye hugs and kisses.

"Onii-chan?" Karen pulled on her brother's sleeves as they watched Grandma Hina and Kanako's car disappear down the road. "Will Kanako-neechan and Grandma Hina visit us again?"

"They will, Karen-chan. They promised." Keitaro smiled down at his sister.

"Does this mean we don't get piggyback rides from you anymore?" Hinako asked, her eyes watering.

"No, nobody ever said that." Keitaro chuckled, much to Hinako and Hinata's relief. "Now, let's go. We've got a home to get to."

* * *

"Ok…just a few more steps…be careful not to slip on the snow, everyone." Keitaro said. "You holding on ok, Marie-chan? Aria-chan?" He asked Marie and Aria who he was carrying on either side of him. The snow around them was shining a bright tinge of orange on one side and glimmering a deep blue on the other. On the horizon the sun was already rapidly sinking, casting a dark shadow across the world. 

"Yes, Aniue-sama…I'm sorry for the trouble." Marie said. She snuggled a bit into Keitaro's shoulder, feeling thankful for the comfort.

"Nii-ya. Aria-chan can manage by herself. Aria-chan has always gone up and down stairs by herself." Aria said.

"It's no trouble at all…though going up and down these stairs will definitely prove a lot of trouble for you two." Keitaro sighed. In front of him the sisters were all making their way slowly up the long flight of stairs up the Hinata hill. Behind them followed Naru, Mitsune, Shinobu, Suu, Motoko, and Haruka. Matsura was bringing up the rear with Marie's wheelchair in his hands.

"Onii-tama!" Hinako cried with excitement. "I can see it! I can see it! It's Hinata Sou!" She ran up the last few steps with giddy excitement.

"Onii-chama!" Hinata shouted. "We're here!"

"Wow…" Sakuya gasped. "I've already forgotten how grand it was…"

"Has it always been this big?" Rinrin asked in awe.

"It certainly seems bigger than how I remember it." Keiko nodded in agreement.

"This is our new home!" Mizuki shouted, looking up at the staggering beauty of the Hinata Sou.

"Squawk! Checky!" The toucan squawked, taking off from Mizuki's shoulder and landing on a bough of a nearby sakura tree. "Ani-chama! Checky!"

"It's…so old and majestic…" Chiikage sighed in awe as she paused at the top of the stairs to take in the amazing sight.

"It's so beautiful desu-no! It looks like Snow White's castle desu-no!" Shirayuki cried, dancing around on the front courtyard.

"With all the snow, it does look like Snow White's castle." Karen agreed. "It's so gorgeous…what do you think, Vanilla-chan?" She asked her kitten, who mewed in agreement.

Kaho gasped silently and stood still for a moment, taking in every little detail.

"It's like a house of a story book…" Marie gasped as she, Keitaro, and Aria reached the top.

Aria remained silent. She sighed as she felt the gentle breeze caress her hair.

"Well…this is your new home." Keitaro said, looking up proudly at Hinata Sou. "Now, let's wait for the others before we go in." He said, looking around.

"Keitaro…I've gotten my drivers to park down in the garage. They'll bring your stuff up for you." Matsura said, folding out Marie's wheelchair.

"Thanks, Matsura-san." Keitaro said, gently lowering Marie onto the wheelchair.

"Nii-ya, Aria-chan can walk by herself." Aria said, pulling on her brother's shoulder.

"All right, all right." Keitaro laughed, putting her down. "Here you go." He took out Aria's telescopic walking stick.

"I can walk without it. Watch." She said, cheerfully, running around the courtyard, weaving in and out between the other sisters, before slipping and falling into a heap of snow.

"Eh?" Suu wore a sudden expression of puzzlement as she watched Keitaro pick up Aria from the snow.

"What is it, Suu-chan?" Shinobu asked.

"Something's wrong…" Suu murmured as she watched Keitaro brush the snow off Aria's clothes and ask her whether or not she was all right.

* * *

Later on, in Naru's room… 

"Where's Mitsune-sempai?" Motoko asked as they sat down around the table.

"She went to put away the leftover beer she got from the otsuya. Knowing her, she'd down a few before actually putting them away…" Naru said, preparing some tea.

"That girl is supposed to be blind, right? Right?" Suu suddenly asked.

"Yes, that's true." Naru nodded, placing a cup of tea in front of each of them. "That's probably why she fell down in front of the Hinata Sou…I think that was obvious." Naru said.

"No…" Suu said, shaking her head. "She was avoiding every other obstacle…as if she knew they were there..." Suu's face contorted with concentration, as if thinking up an interesting new invention. "She also clearly avoided the borders of the courtyard…if she was truly blind, she wouldn't be able to avoid these things so well."

"Now that you mention it…" Naru murmured. "…I remember she was walking around the Urashima residence without her walking stick."

"But she's really blind." Shinobu said. "She can't tell the difference between the men's and women's bathrooms at the rest stop."

"But she still found the doors…" Naru added. "I saw her head straight for the door, though it was the wrong one."

"Eye of the heart…" Motoko murmured. The others looked around in surprise at Motoko and asked her to go on. "Well…" She coughed. "It does look like it, but it's impossible. She's too young to be able to use such a technique with such expertise. I can only say it's a coincidence."

"What is it anyway?" Naru asked.

"It's a technique martial artists use to sense things in the dark…normally moving objects. They hone their ears and skin to sense every change in air movements and pressure to judge movements of opponents in the dark." Motoko explained. "But…that's not it either…It's good for sensing fast moving objects. But it won't explain how she sensed stationary objects. The change of air pressure between her and the objects as she moves is just too minute for her or any human to sense." Motoko reasoned. "So it can only be a coincidence. She's probably memorized the layout of the residence."

"You still can't explain the restroom doors at the rest stop." Naru reminded her.

"hmmm…" Suu nodded slightly. A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes.

"Hey, I think the sisters are in Keitaro's room…" Naru said, looking around at the hole in the floor. Voices were drifting up through it from the room below, coupled with childish laughter and quiet scuffling.

"I wonder what they're talking about…" Shinobu said.

"Let's find out…" Naru smiled mischievously as she inched over to the hole in the floor. Everyone, while commenting on how bad eavesdropping is, gathered around the hole and lowered their ears towards the opening.

"Nii-ya! Nii-ya! Come with us!" They heard a voice say. "We'll have a bath together just like we used to!"

The girls gasped. Motoko gripped the handle of her katana to the point where the wood groaned with pressure. Naru cracked her knuckles as she balled them into tight fists.

"Anou…anou…he is their brother…" Shinobu tried to remind them. "Suu-chan…help?" She looked over at Suu…or at least, where Suu had been sitting. She was already gone.

Motoko and Naru both stood up and sprinted out of the door, skidding around the corner and disappearing in a cloud of dust.

"Everyone…we have to get along…" Shinobu whimpered, to nobody in particular.

* * *

"Wow…this is Ani-chama's room?" Mizuki asked, running inside. The toucan followed her in and took up a perch on a dresser. 

"Excuse us, Anigimi-sama." Keiko bowed slightly at her brother as she entered the room.

"Excuse us, Urashima-san?" The two drivers who had driven the vans addressed Keitaro in the corridor. Behind them were a number of suitcases and boxes. "Here are your belongings. Where do you want us to place them?"

"Thanks. That's fine. You can leave them there. We'll take care of the rest." Keitaro said, smiling.

"Very well, Urashima-san. Good luck with your family." The two men bowed slightly and left.

"Hinata-chan calls Onii-chama's futon cabinet!" Hinata shouted.

"No fair! That's Hina-tan's!" Hinako cried, pulling on the back of Hinata's dress.

"Wait a moment, who told you that you could sleep in my futon cabinet?" Keitaro asked.

"It's natural for the cute little twins to have the big brother's futon cabinet, Onii-chama." Hinata explained as she scrambled into the futon cabinet. Hinako fumbled a bit as she tried to climb up until Hinata finally pulled her in.

"I think it's normally the cat robot that gets the futon cabinet…" Marie murmured.

"Sigh…there goes my futon cabinet…" Keitaro sighed, looking around. "Wait…you girls aren't planning on sleeping in here, are you?" He asked, slightly incredulous, as he saw his other sisters bring their belongings in.

"Why? Is there something wrong with that, Onii-chan?" Karen asked, opening up her suitcase.

"I mean…where else are we supposed to sleep?" Sakuya asked, acting innocent.

"I need space for my clothes…" Shirayuki murmured, looking around the room for space.

"I like this side…" Chiikage said, indicating a corner of the room by the windows.

"Aniki, where can I drop my lab gear?" Rinrin asked.

"Wait…that thermonuclear device doesn't belong here!" Keitaro cried in panic, seeing Rinrin heave in a large metal object with what looked like a gigantic radiation symbol printed on its side. On closer inspection, Keitaro realized that instead of a circle in the middle, there was a letter R with a 2 superscript…R squared. Apparently Rinrin had developed her own symbol.

"Anigimi-sama, where do you think I can leave my ikebana items?" Keiko asked playfully.

"Ok…ok…do you guys really want to sleep in here?" Keitaro asked, exasperated.

"Chill, Onii-sama. I don't know about the younger ones but I, Rinrin, Keiko, and Chiikage were only kidding." Sakuya laughed. "You should've seen the look on your face."

"Who said I was kidding?" Rinrin asked, putting up a satellite dish on the balcony outside.

Kaho, meanwhile, had found an ideal spot for her flower pot where there was plenty of sunlight and protection from the cold outside. She was lovingly poking its tiny bud and sighing in happiness.

"I am not one to joke, Ane-chan." Chiikage said.

"Wha…" Sakuya was taken aback. "Hey, no fair. If you're all staying here, then I'm staying too!"

"Sigh…for tonight it's ok, I guess…" Keitaro sighed, sliding open the door.

"Nii-ya! Nii-ya!" Aria shouted after her brother. "We are going to go have a bath before dinner. Do you want to come?" She asked, pulling on the sleeve of his shirt.

"A bath?" Keitaro asked. "Who are 'we'?"

"Hina-tan wants one!" Hinako shouted, leaping out of the futon cabinet.

"Hinata-chan too!" Hinata shouted, falling out of the futon cabinet in her hurry to get out.

"A bath? Karen-chan would love one." Karen said.

"That sounds like fun!" Shirayuki shouted.

"Sure, why not?" Rinrin asked, taking out a number of what would seem to be bathroom related gadgets such as automated brushes with built in soap dispenser and such.

"Well, if you're all in, I'm in." Sakuya said.

"A bath does sound good at the moment. Washing off the day's tiredness is essential." Keiko said.

"I'll race y'all to the baths!" Mizuki shouted.

"Will we all fit?" Chiikage raised the issue.

"Don't they have hot springs here? There should be more than enough space for everyone." Karen said. "Karen-chan remembers the last time we visited, we all had a bath together there."

"Nii-ya! Nii-ya! Come with us!" Aria said. "We'll have a bath together just like we used to!"

"haha…I think I'm already too old for that. Why don't you all head down first. I still need to check up on some things." Keitaro chuckled, leaving the room. There was so much to take care of…the boilers needed maintenance, the refrigerator needed restocking, and the inn needed cleaning. He decided to check up on the boilers first to make sure there'd be a warm bath ready for the children.

As he descended the stairs towards the living room he noticed a figure spread out on the sofa in the living room. "Mitsune?" he asked as he reached the living room. "Drunk already? We haven't even been home for more than half an hour…" He noticed there were quite a few beer cans around her.

"Ah…Keitaro…yeah, leftovers from the otsuya…" Mitsune hiccupped. "Oh…Lover boy…" She stood up and wobbled. "You know…with your sisters being here and all…your expenses will certainly…hiccup…increase, right?"

"Err…perhaps…" Keitaro said, uncertainly.

"Well…please don't raise the rents, will ya? For a friend?" Mitsune hiccupped again, falling forwards into Keitaro and pinning him onto a sofa. "And…about this month's rent…what do you say you give me a little discount…and I'll treat you to a little something…" She said, nodding slightly.

"Eh…Mitsune…ah, I think you should wash your face or something…" Keitaro said, panicking. He looked around…oh, no, his worst fears became a reality.

There, by the stairs stood Sakuya, Keiko, Chiikage, Rinrin, and Mizuki. The rest of the sisters were still on the stairs. They were watching the entire scene with an expression of utter shock.

He suddenly felt a murderous aura approach. Months of experience has honed his senses to detect the quiet, light footsteps and the murderous aura that came with it. His eyes had become accustomed to looking out for the glint of brandished steel. He saw it. He flinched.

"URASHIMA! WHAT IS THIS I HEAR ABOUT YOU BATHING WITH YOUR SISTERS?!" The samurai screamed as she ran into the living room. "AND WHAT'S THIS?!" She shouted as she noticed Mitsune on top of Keitaro. "YOU SHALL PAY FOR YOUR SINS WITH YOUR BLOOD!"

Right behind her was another rapidly approaching figure emanating an even darker aura. "KEITARO! YOU PERVERTED LOLICON!" Naru shouted as she came to a screeching stop in the living room. Then she froze when she saw Mitsune.

"Oh, hi everyone…" Mitsune hiccupped, falling off Keitaro and passing out on the floor.

"You're…so…dead…" Naru shook with fury as she reared back her fist.

"This is just a misunderstanding!" Keitaro cried, leaping off the sofa as a katana ki blast ripped through it and shredded the wall behind it. "Please don't kill me!" His please fell on deaf ears as two waves of raging ki burned across the living room, followed by the rapidly approaching blur of an enraged fist.

* * *

To be continued… 

Wow…sparks really flew there between the Marciano sisters and the Urashima sisters. I'm sure you were all expecting some sort of violence to break out. Well, I thought it was probably too early in the story for such violence. Besides….I don't want to give away too many surprises in one chapter .

Also, some of you might be a little disappointed with the lack of screen time for the Hinata girls. There's just so much I could fit into one chapter without dragging it out too long. But worry not. I've worked out a way of giving each character ample amounts of screen time. Since the story intro is officially done with this chapter, I could now focus on fleshing out the story.

Also, I've finally added the scene you've all been waiting for. A Keitaro bashing! Now, how exactly would the sisters react to Mitsune's flirting and Motoko and Naru's Keitaro-bashing? Find out in the next chapter!

For character profiles, sneak peaks, previews of upcoming chapters, for Sister Princess as well as my other works, feel free to visit our Fan Works Forum, the Unlimited Fan Works, accessible through the homepage link on our profile. Thank You.

Glossary of Japanese words:

Ikebana : Japanese flower arranging


	6. Chp6: A New Dawn

Chp6: A New Dawn

Thanks for yet another round of fantastic reviews. They're really what drives me to give my very best for this story. Thank you all! I'm still a beginner, so reviews, feedbacks, and anything at all you've got to say about the story will help immensely. Thank you! I really, really appreciate it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, Mahou Sensei Negima, or anything else here that might belong to someone else. Unfortunately, saying what exactly, would just be a complete spoiler. Rest assured that I gain no profit from this story, only pure enjoyment.

* * *

Amongst the maze of canals and waterways of Venice, a cool night breeze blew by. Silence reigned as the early hours approached. The eastern horizon was a light bluish tint, with its usual telltale rays of white light, the first signs of dawn bursting out into the cold dark world. "I need a pick up…fast…" A cloaked figure standing atop a rooftop was silhouetted against the slowly diminishing darkness. Her voice was as relaxed as the night breeze yet as energetic as the waves of the rapidly approaching aqua alta. The figure seemed to be putting something up to her ears. Then she brought it down and seemed to stare at it thoughtfully, before explicating in frustration while executing a quick hand flip into her cloak, stowing away the object. 

"Typical…" She muttered, as she looked around. She was protectively clutching a waterproof folder behind her white cloak which ruffled gently in the early wind. She clutched her large, cute white barrette as a strong gust of wind threatened to blow it off. "Well…at least I've lost the crowd…"

"Found her! Executing orders!" A girl's voice shouted from behind. The cloaked figure looked around and saw her pursuer, a young short brown-haired girl, probably in her early teens. The pursuer aimed a silenced SIG handgun at the cloaked figure and shouted, "Stop right where you are. My orders are to take you dead or alive."

"You really think I'd stop? Me?" The cloaked figure turned her body around to face her pursuer fully. The first rays of sunlight glinted off the pair of shaded goggles she wore on her head as she slowly slipped them off her eyes and onto her forehead, revealing her chestnut brown eyes. "Haha, you're just chasing after the wrong gal on the wrong day, kid." She chuckled.

"Place your hands on your head and slowly turn around." The pursuer ordered.

"Whatever…" The cloaked girl turned around and leapt up into the air.

"STOP!" The pursuer shouted, raising her gun and firing up at her fleeing target. "This is Angelo 1, requesting back-up." She said into her radio. "The target is fleeing over the rooftops. I'm pursuing." She too leapt up into the air.

The cloaked figure landed in a crouch on the rooftop opposite and proceeded to run towards the edge. Just as she leapt towards another rooftop the pursuer landed right behind her and opened fire, sending shredders flying all around her. She grinned as she landed in a handstand and flipped off onto another rooftop. This was a piece of cake to her.

"_Pezza di…_this is just impossible…" A well groomed man dressed in a black suit shouted as he ran along the streets below, trying his hardest to keep up with the cloaked girl and the pursuers. "Angelo 1! Angelo 2! Don't lose sight of her! We need her alive!" He shouted into his radio.

"_Affirmento_." One of the pursuer girls said, her twin blonde pony-tail hair flying in the wind as she shouldered her sniper rifle and leapt off the church spire. She landed lightly on the rooftop tiles below before running swiftly and silently towards her target. She leapt up and primed her sniper rifle again, aiming down at her target's feet.

The cloaked figure stopped abruptly as two rounds from the sniper rifle shattered the ceramic tiles just a few inches in front of her feet. She looked up at the pursuer with the sniper rifle who landed neatly on a nearby rooftop before aiming her sniper gun straight at the cloaked girl. The other pursuer landed behind the cloaked girl and raised her gun.

"You're cornered. Don't try to fight back." The girl shouted.

"Well, well…" The cloaked girl said, looking behind her. Behind her the rooftop ended in a sheer drop into a shallow cliff that ended with the rocky sea below. "Guess I am…" She shrugged. Her cloak started to ruffle violently as a particularly strong wind started to blow upwards from the cliff below. The sun was already a blinking diamond encrusted on the horizon. The sea behind her sparkled with the brilliance of a thousand diamonds.

"I'll congratulate you two on pursuing me this far…no normal person could usually keep up with me…" The cloaked girl laughed, lowering her goggles again.

"There's nowhere left to run…" The sniper said, cocking her sniper. "Don't try anything…"

"We are the young generation! There's no point in giving up while you're young!" She laughed, as the gust of wind from behind her grew stronger. The two pursuers were forced to shield their eyes as both the forceful wind and the glaring light of the sun blinded them.

"And thusly Othello bid the beautiful Desdemona goodbye…And such an aggrieved face shall Venice no more see." The cloaked girl curtsied grandly to her pursuers, before leaping off backwards towards the cliff.

"She jumped!" One of the pursuers shouted. Suddenly, the roar of screaming jet engines filled their ears. A large bulky, sleek navy blue shape rose over the rooftop and slowly spun around. Above it stood the cloaked girl. She threw her pursuers one last salute before leaping off the top of the large bulky object onto a ramp extended from its back. The whole bulky shape turned out to be a tactical stealth tilt-jet transport plane. A large symbol bearing an angel with a scythe with the words 'Galeniev Altus' under it glinted in the sun. Its twin jets slowly tilted out horizontally as its rear ramp closed over the cloaked figure. It spun until it was facing the sun before its engines roared into full thrust, sending the transport into an abrupt cruise.

The two pursuers watched calmly as the ship cruised off towards the sunrise before notifying their superiors that they had lost their query.

"How was it?" A brown haired boy in a heavy duty vanguard vest and pants asked as he walked up to the cloaked girl.

"It went fine. First, my horse died. Then my informant died. Then my getaway agent died. Then my cell phone died…." The cloaked girl said, in a flustered voice.

"Oh…and your parents died." The boy added, after a brief thought.

The cloaked girl stared at him for a moment.

"Excuse me…my bad…I couldn't help it…" The boy said, coughing, before a flying toolbox made contact with his head. A few nuts and bolts bounced around the transport's cargo bay. A random screwdriver rolled across the floor and came to a stop at another girl's foot. The girl, who's long, brown hair was tied into two neat balls on her head which lead off into twin ponytails, picked up the screwdriver and tossed it from hand to hand as she approached the cloaked girl.

"That's for being a totally idiotic and pathetically lame moron," the girl said to the boy who was twitching silently on one side of the transport. "Well, that was fast." She turned her attention to the cloaked girl. "Err…yeah, that wasn't exactly how I wanted to break the news to you, but your parents have passed away."

The cloaked girl looked at her friend in confusion. "Wh…when?"

"Just two days ago. Grandma Hina is on her way. She'll meet up with us later on. She hasn't exactly given us a rendezvous point but we'll hear from her soon." The girl said. "Ok…business aside, I'm sorry for your loss." The girl said, stepping forwards and giving the shocked cloaked girl a tight hug. "I know how much they meant to you."

"Oka-sama…Oto-sama…" Tears slowly streamed down her cheeks before dropping onto the cold steel floor. "N…no…"

The scream of the jet engines drowned out her long tortured wail as the transport slowly readjusted its bearings and flew off into the sunrise.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the sun was just setting on a particular inn. Another pursuit was going on, but of a different kind. "DIE URASHIMA!" Motoko shouted her usual battle cry as she and Naru chased Keitaro around the living room. 

"Leave Onii-sama alone!" Sakuya shouted, advancing. Her sisters shouted the things to the same effect and followed.

"No! Allow me to clear things up first!" Keitaro shouted at his sisters. "Seriously! Listen to me!" Keitaro turned to face Naru and Motoko. He looked up at his sisters, then back at Motoko and Naru. "They deserve to know the truth!" He shouted, picking up a nearby broomstick and countering Motoko's katana slash. He knew the chances of stopping a katana with a broom were more or less the same as if he had used, say, a toothpick, so he went for the part of the katana that would carry the least force and would be easiest to stop; the hilt.

CRUNCH. There was the painful crunch of wood cracking under extreme pressure.

"Huh?" Motoko looked at her katana in amazement as it shuddered with the shock of the abrupt stop. Naru too was surprised by Keitaro's sudden counter attack. They both looked down at the hilt. It was embedded halfway through the broomstick's shaft.

"Ok…now listen to me…" Keitaro said. "Mitsune was drunk. She tried to flirt with me to ask me not to raise the rents and to give her a slide on this month's rent, as usual. As for taking a bath with my sisters, I've already said no to that. And seriously, to be honest, that's not even your business. Is that enough of an explanation?"

"You…" Motoko growled. "I'LL STILL KILL YOU, YOU IMPUDENT LOWLIFE!" She screamed as she slammed aside the broomstick and raised her katana again.

"AS IF I'D BELIEVE YOU!" Naru shouted, rearing back her fist again.

"SHINMEI-RYU! OUGI! ZAN GAN…" Motoko shouted.

"NARU ATOMIC PU…" Naru shouted.

A loud clang of cold steel hitting cold steel reverberated through the air. It was followed by a loud wham and a very quiet yet distinct crunch.

"Anigimi-sama isn't the type of person to flirt with people. He is a man bound by honour and pride." Keiko said, watching Motoko's eyes glare at her menacingly with a calmness that was inherent in the stillness of her hands holding the long metal stick that had halted the progress of Motoko's katana. The end of the long metal stick was covered with a wide leather sheath.

"Anou…anou…What's happening?" Shinobu asked, rushing down, with Suu leaping down behind her.

"You should listen to Onii-sama. Just from seeing the living room, I could already guess what had happened, even if Onii-sama hadn't explained. He needs not explain anything to us for we know he's not that type of person." Sakuya said, holding onto Naru's shaking fist. "We're never going to let anyone hurt Onii-sama."

"Enough…" Keitaro said. Everyone looked around at him in surprise. "Keiko, Sakuya, I thank you for trying to protect me, but it won't be necessary. First of all, you two, I wish to impose a new rule…there will not be any physical violence under this roof or anywhere within the Hinata Sou household." He looked up at Naru and Motoko. "This will go for you two as well. I've been meaning to say this for a long time… we couldn't resolve it with brute force each time one of these little misunderstandings occur. It's best if everyone were to sit down and discuss things quietly, and get everything cleared up nice and peacefully." Keitaro said, giving the two stern looks. "While my sisters are living here, I do not want anyone setting them bad examples with such needless violence. Is that understood?"

Naru and Motoko looked at one another, before giving Keitaro a strange, appraising look. All the tenants present were amazed at Keitaro's sudden change of attitude. At that exact moment, the consequence ripples from Keitaro's sudden unnatural action caused all sorts of minor unnatural things to happen all across the world. Hens laying square eggs and managers giving wage raises, for example . Hell probably froze over at that exact moment too.

"As for you…" Keitaro got down and raised Mitsune and shook her slightly.

"Ay…Keitaro?" Mitsune asked, slowly blinking her eyes open blearily. She yawned and stretched. Keitaro did his best not to notice her clothes stretching along with her. "Oh, is it breakfast time yet?" Mitsune asked.

"No." Keitaro sighed. "Listen, Mitsune, your habit of over-drinking during the day in the house must stop. It's seriously unhealthy. I mean, look at you, passing out like that."

"Oy, that's my business…" Mitsune muttered.

"No, it's everyone's business, especially mine. I'm the manager here and my job is to look out for the well-being of my tenants. Not to mention it's a bad example for the children." Keitaro said.

"Oh give me a break…" Mitsune struggled onto her feet and wobbled a bit.

"See? You can't even stand up straight." Keitaro said, helping Mitsune over to a sofa. "Oh, and the flirting must stop too. It isn't something children should see."

"Hey…Keitaro…?" Mitsune asked, frowning up at Keitaro. "When did you turn into such a…jerk?" She fumbled slightly with the words.

"Ever since I have 12 little sisters to take care of. Now, drink." Keitaro said, handing Mitsune a glass of water, which she reluctantly accepted. "I'll go check on the boilers. It shouldn't take long to fill up the hot springs with hot water again." He said, heading off.

"…Well…" Naru was at a loss for words.

"If he thinks he's going to get off by giving us a lecture…." Motoko fumed, advancing, before Keiko barred her way, slamming her long metal stick into the floor.

"I know Anigimi-sama has prohibited me from using force." Keiko said calmly. "But I will not tolerate any acts of hostility against Anigimi-sama."

"Enough, Motoko. He was right, somewhat. Perhaps we have to try and hear him out sometimes." Naru said, placing a hand on Motoko's shoulder. Motoko shook it off.

"I will not tolerate males…not now, not ever." Motoko snapped, before turning around and storming up the stairs.

"I'm sorry about all that...I guess I and Motoko just have very short tempers, that's all. We just react that way to any signs of perversion." Naru said, apologetically.

"There's no need to apologize, Narusegawa-san." Keiko bowed. "It is perfectly natural for females to adopt defensive reactions like that. It was only a misunderstanding, after all."

"…." Sakuya remained silent, before turning around and leaving the living room. Naru watched her leave with an uneasy look.

"Ah…I've got to go cook dinner…" Shinobu said, realizing it was already early evening.

"Hime-chan'll help, Maehara-san!" Shirayuki volunteered.

"Karen-chan too, Maehara-san!" Karen said.

"Ah, Shinobu is fine. Just call me Shinobu." Shinobu said, as together they made their way towards the kitchen. "You're Karen-chan and Kaho-chan, right?" Shinobu asked.

"No, I'm Shirayuki-chan, Shinobu-neechan." Shirayuki said as they disappeared into the kitchen.

"I shall lay out the table." Keiko said, leaving towards the dining room.

"I'll go help Aniki with the boiler." Rinrin announced, leaving towards the hot springs.

"Ok, everyone, show's over." Mizuki said, pushing Marie's wheelchair away. "We'll go help in the kitchen."

"Ok!" Hinako, Hinata, and Aria agreed. Kaho too nodded and followed.

Chiikage, meanwhile, had disappeared sometime amidst the whole event. Nobody had noticed her disappear.

"Aghhh…the headache…" Mitsune groaned. "This is quite a quick hangover…then again, I drank too much at yesterday's otsuya too…ulp…" She groaned as she tried to stand up. "I think…Keitaro's right…I gotta lay off the booze for a bit. I'll go wash up…a bit…" She said, before staggering off in the direction of the bathroom.

Suu, meanwhile, had disappeared yet again.

Naru looked up at the stairs up which Sakuya had gone. She put one foot on the steps, before changing her mind and turning around. Then she looked up again and thought for a moment, contemplating her decision. She then shook her head and left towards some random direction.

* * *

"Itadakimasu!" The sister said, before picking up their chopsticks. 

"Itadakimasu." Everyone else chorused, before doing likewise. The food was a lot fancier than usual. Even though it was obvious the ingredients were no different, the flavour was distinctly first class.

"Wow…the food tastes really good…" Naru commented.

"Really?" Shinobu asked. "Shirayuki-chan deserves the praise. It was her seasoning that gave it such a different flavour."

"Wow, my compliments to the chef, Shirayuki-chan." Naru smiled in Shirayuki's direction.

"Oh…it was nothing desu-no…Nii-sama was the one who taught Hime-chan how to mix the herbs and seasonings desu-no…" Shirayuki said, blushing.

"Oh yes…if there's one thing Keitaro's good at, it's cooking, isn't it?" Naru asked Keitaro.

"Err…not really…" Keitaro laughed.

"C'mon, Ani-chama, don't be modest. You were the one who taught us all how to cook!" Mizuki said.

"Anou…Y…You've really taught them well then, sempai." Shinobu stammered. "They all helped out a lot with the cooking…"

"And I thought too many chefs would burn the food…" Naru said. "Well done."

"They work together really well." Shinobu nodded.

"Well…I guess I'm the only one with abysmal cooking skills." Rinrin laughed.

"You can still learn, Nee-sama." Shirayuki said. "Nii-sama would be happy to teach you." She looked over at Keitaro.

"Ahaha, sure, anytime." Keitaro said, smiling at Rinrin. Then he noticed that Sakuya and Motoko had been quiet all throughout dinner. "Err…Motoko, Sakuya, is there anything wrong?"

"Nothing…" They both said. Motoko shot a glare at Keiko while Sakuya shot a scowl at Naru.

"Well…err…that's great." Keitaro managed, feeling slightly uneasy. "Err…by the way, does everyone know each other already? You've introduced yourselves to each other yesterday, right?" Keitaro asked, fumbling for a topic to talk about.

"Yeah…but it's going to take me some time to remember all of them. They're all so cute and cuddly, I can't really tell." Naru said.

"Anou…I can only remember a few of them now…." Shinobu said.

"Keitaro, why don't you introduce us again?" Mitsune said, having recovered quite a bit from her bad spell.

"Ok, then…" Keitaro said. "The one with her hair tied in twin-tails is Sakuya-chan, our resident fashion expert." Sakuya stood up and bowed. "The one with long purple hair is Chiikage-chan." Chiikage too stood up and bowed stiffly. "That one over there with the goggles on her head is Rinrin-chan. Excuse her Chinese accent. She's been in China for quite a bit." Rinrin stood up and bowed extensively.

"The one in the kimono is Keiko-chan." Keitaro said, indicating Keiko who stood up and bowed politely. Motoko scowled. "And the one over there with the two short ponytails is Mizuki. She just returned from England so her Japanese needs a bit of work…I believe you all shared a train ride with her. That toucan on her shoulder is called Wataru. I don't know if she's told you the story yet…I'll leave it for her to tell." Keitaro said, indicating Mizuki, who stood up and curtsied.

"And our little chef here, Shirayuki-chan, who we like to call 'Hime-chan'…I guess we told her the story of Snow White one time too many." Keitaro laughed. Shirayuki stood up and curtsied.

"The black haired one over there with the glasses is Marie-chan. You can depend on her for any book recommendations, puzzles, math work, or things like that." Keitaro continued. Marie bowed in her seat. "And here we have Karen-chan, the one with the cute brown hair." Keitaro pointed out Karen who bowed politely. "And here," Keitaro indicated the girl with light blue hair and the blue dress beside him, "Is Aria-chan. She just returned from France. Her French is not bad, so if you ever feel the need to take up French, you can learn from her." Aria stood up and curtsied, slightly clumsily.

"Here we have Kaho-chan, the gardening expert." Keitaro said, indicating the other girl beside him. "We're guaranteed a spring full of blooming flowers with her around." Kaho got up and bowed. "And last but not least, the twins…" Keitaro said, indicating the twins who shot up out of their seats and bowed. "Hinako's the quiet one, and Hinata's the one with ants in her pants."

"Hinata-chan doesn't have ants in her pants!" Hinata protested.

"You see? Well, girls, I think you all already know Narusegawa Naru-sempai?" Keitaro asked, pointing out Naru. "She's achieved top rank in the national practice exams. She's quite the genius." Keitaro said. Naru blushed and bowed.

"And here's Aoyama Motoko-sempai, our kendoka." Keitaro said, pointing out Motoko, who stood up and bowed stiffly. "Over here is Konno Mitsune-sempai." Keitaro indicated Mitsune, who, at that moment, he just couldn't find anything good to say about. Mitsune stood up and waved at everyone genially.

"Here we've got Maehara Shinobu…to some of you, she'll be a good sempai and probably even a big sister. To Chiikage and Sakuya, she'd be a good friend." Keitaro said, indicating Shinobu who blushed profusely. "She's an amazing cook…you can all learn a lot from her. Not to mention she's single handedly kept the entire Hinata Sou sparkling clean." Shinobu blushed even redder as she bowed.

"And last but not least, Suu-chan, our genius inventor." Keitaro said, indicating Suu. "Beware of her laboratory though…I swear I heard tigers in there the last time I went past." The sisters burst into appreciative laughter. "I'm serious." Keitaro warned. Everyone abruptly stopped laughing.

"Oh…those weren't tigers." Suu said, gulping down her soup.

"They weren't?" Keitaro asked.

"They were a genetically engineered new species of land sharks with T-Rex addons…but that was a week ago." Suu said.

"So they're gone now?" Keitaro asked, hopefully.

"Nope. They've mutated into some new alien life form that could eat through anything but the diamond plated bars of their cage." Suu said, casually downing the last of her rice.

"…" Keitaro and the others all sweat-dropped collectively. Well, everyone except for Rinrin.

"Well…I guess now would be a good moment to give you all a warm Hinata Sou welcome." Naru said, standing up again. Shinobu, Suu, and Mitsune all followed her lead and stood up. Motoko, rather reluctantly, stood up too.

"Welcome to the Hinata Sou!" They all shouted.

"I'll definitely drink to that!" Mitsune added.

"No more drinking, Mitsune." Naru cautioned.

"It's just plain water…boy, you're all so edgy…" Mitsune said, picking up her glass of water.

"Well…since it's already late, and the boiler's aren't exactly warm enough, why don't you all postpone that bath till tomorrow." Keitaro suggested. "By the way, the food was amazing everyone. Thanks for the food." Keitaro said, standing up and starting clearing away the table.

"Karen-chan'll help wash!" Karen said, stacking up the dishes and bowls.

"Aria-chan too!" Aria said. The kitchen ended up extremely crowded as everyone tried to help clean up.

Haruka, who had kept quiet all throughout dinner, came up to Keitaro and pulled him aside. "Well…I heard you handled the scene quite well this evening…." Haruka said. "I'm impressed…I expected no less from you." Haruka said, though still maintaining her perpetually bored expression. "Now…on to business…what about your job?"

"Well…" Keitaro scratched the back of his head. "I don't have a job at the moment yet…I guess it's about time I go out and find one."

"I've got a list of people you could try out, but they're mostly part-time jobs." Haruka said, handing Keitaro a list of contact details. "But some of them might allow you to join full time after some time…who knows?" Haruka said. "Good luck, nephew…make sure your sisters don't go hungry."

"Th…Thank you, Haruka-san." Keitaro said, bowing gratefully. "I'll do my best!"

"You should. I don't want to see my nieces ending up in the hands of Marciano…" Haruka said, walking away.

* * *

"…the prince wasn't one to give up. He dashed through the dark forest on his white steed, his sword blazing…." Keitaro said in a hushed voice as he built up the tension towards the climax. "Then…!" He shouted suddenly, making his sisters jump as he flipped the page. "The fire breathing dragon suddenly appeared, his eyes flashing, his tongue burning, his breath ablaze with the flames of his hatred!" He shouted. 

"He's a natural, isn't he?" Naru commented as the others watched the family from the hole in the ceiling. Keitaro was sitting on one of the futons, animatedly reading out one of Hinako and Hinata's picture books. Hinako and Hinata were sitting in Keitaro's lap, both giddy with excitement. Beside him were Marie and Aria both leaning on his shoulders. Karen and Kaho were leaning over his shoulders and looking down at the book. Shirayuki was holding onto Marie, while the others sat around Keitaro, all listening intently. A small reading lamp shone down on them, creating a small pool of light on the floor within which all the sisters sat.

Though the story was obviously too childish for Sakuya, Chiikage, Keiko, Rinrin, and Mizuki, they enjoyed it immensely all the same, since it was the first time in a really long time that they were all together, listening to Keitaro reading out a story.

"I want to have a big brother…" Shinobu said, her eyes watering again.

"I can't say anything…" Motoko grunted.

"Man…I could take a snapshot of that scene and sell it off to the editors of 'modern families'." Mitsune commented. "It's not something you see much these days…"

Suu, meanwhile, had locked herself in her laboratory all evening since dinner.

"Keitaro…" Naru sighed. "He has it tough, doesn't he?"

"But sempai is sempai, he'll make it through!" Shinobu said, confidently. "We're there to help him too, right?"

"haha…if you say it that way, Shinobu-chan, it sounds like a scene out of some stereotyped daytime opera…but it's true though." Mitsune smiled. "Keitaro will pull through."

"I'm retiring for the night." Motoko said, standing up. "Excuse me."

"Don't want to stay for another chapter, Motoko?" Naru asked, pointing at the hole in the floor. "Or for another cup of tea, at least?"

"No, I've got morning training." Motoko said. "Good night." She bowed slightly and left.

"How does she manage to wake up for morning training after spending an entire night with Suu?" Mitsune asked.

"Anou…the story's ending…" Shinobu said.

"…And the handsome prince charming saved beautiful princess from her dark dungeon, and together they lived happily ever after." Keitaro finished, with a triumphant tone, snapping the book shut.

"That prince charming is so much like you, Onii-tama!" Hinako said, looking up at her brother's face with a glowing expression.

"Yeah, he saved the princess and the kingdom!" Hinata said.

"So that makes me a princess?" Rinrin asked playfully. Kaho pulled on her brother's sleeve and indicated herself.

"Oh, Kaho-chan said she's the princess. Why is that, Kaho?" Keitaro asked. Kaho quickly embraced her brother tightly and smiled contentedly.

"I think what she meant is, you saved her, so that makes her a princess." Keiko said.

"Hey! No fair! I got saved by Aniki first!" Rinrin shouted.

"I think we've all been saved by Ani-chama at least once or twice…maybe more…" Mizuki said. "So that makes us all princesses…"

"Hahaha, Sister Princesses…" Sakuya laughed.

"Dream on, sis. I'm the only princess around here." Rinrin laughed.

"Well, we do need an old sorceress and an ugly fire breathing dragon." Keitaro said. "Volunteers, anybody?"

"Sakuya!" Rinrin shouted.

"Yeah? Well, then I'll have Chiikage-chan be my sorceress!" Sakuya said, pulling Chiikage towards her.

"Ah…Ane-chan…" Chiikage gasped.

"And you can be the sorceress's ugly disguised form!" Sakuya said, pointing at Rinrin.

"Hey!" Rinrin shouted, getting up and leaping on Sakuya. "You really want trouble, fire-breathing dragon?! Rinrin attack!" she shouted, tickling the hell out of Sakuya.

"Hahahahaha…" Keitaro laughed. "Well, you can all be my Sister Princesses…"

"Really, Onii-chan?" Karen asked, hugging her brother tightly. "Then Karen-chan'll be your Sister Princess for ever and ever!"

"Hime-chan'll always be your Sister Princess desu-no." Shirayuki said, hugging her brother.

Kaho too tightened her hug around her big brother and snuggled into his shoulder.

"Yay! Nii-ya's Sister Princess!" Aria shouted, leaping on her brother and giving him a tight hug.

"We're Onii-chama's/Onii-tama's Sister Princesses!" Hinako and Hinata shouted, hugging their brother around the neck and kissing him on the cheeks.

"To be Aniue-sama's Sister Princess…" Marie closed her eyes and hugger her brother around one arm, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Sister Princess, huh?" Rinrin asked. "Well, that's a title better than princess anyday!" She leapt on her brother and hugged him tightly.

"Go on, Chiikage-neesama…I know you want to be a Sister Princess too." Keiko smiled, pushing her sister forwards slightly.

"I…I…" Chiikage lowered her head. Then she looked up at her brother, her gentle, caring brother. "me…me too…" She managed, before embracing him tightly.

"Our turn, Sakuya-neesama." Keiko said to Sakuya, before going up to her brother and giving him a tight hug.

"Well, if you really want a hug that badly…" Sakuya sighed, and pulled her brother into as tight a hug as she could give him.

"We're all Sister Princesses…and we'll always be with Onii-chan…forever…" Karen said, hugging her brother tightly. And at that moment, the sisters felt as if all was right with the world. Nothing else could go wrong. It was one perfect moment that would last an eternity.

* * *

The reading lamp had been dimmed quite significantly, such that it only shone down on a small review book. It was finally shut with a quiet snap as the reading lamp went out with a distinct click. Keitaro got up and looked around the room. All his sisters had gone to sleep in their own little spaces in the room. Keitaro took the time to tuck them in one by one and giving them all quick kisses. He came to the twins last of all, who were tucked away in his futon cabinet. 

They were hugging one another for warmth. Keitaro smiled and tucked them into their blanket before giving them both a kiss. He finally turned to his own futon and settled into it. It wasn't long before he fell into a deep sleep.

He awoke suddenly, feeling a gentle, sweet breeze blow by him. He opened his eyes and looked around him in surprise. He was sleeping under a tree. A red one. He touched the ground and gasped as he brought his hand back up. It was sand. He got up and looked around. He was under a tree with red leaves in the middle of a dessert.

The quiet, gentle breeze blew across the shifting sands, the only sign of life in the barren dessert. It was nothing but rolling sand dunes as far as his eyes could see. The sky was a deep blood red, with what looked like clouds of dust hanging in it. He looked down at his clothes. He was wrapped in a white heavy cloak, under which he wore a heavy-duty shirt and trousers.

"Wh…where am I?" Keitaro looked around. He ventured a bit from the tree, though not too far, afraid that he'd lose his only landmark. He suddenly spotted a figure standing on one of the dunes, looking out over the dessert. He ran for the figure and called out. "Hey there!"

"Oh, Ani-chama." Mizuki turned around and greeted him. She was wrapped in a heavy black cloak, under which she seemed to be wearing a long skirt, a shirt and a vest.

"Where are we?" Keitaro asked.

"Ani-chama…Mizuki-chan's actually dreaming of you, Ani-chama…" Mizuki giggled. "But…since this is a dream, Mizuki-chan doesn't even know whether or not you're real, Ani-chama…"

"I'm pretty sure I'm real, Mizuki-chan." Keitaro said. "Cause I just went to sleep a few seconds ago….now you, on the other hand, I have my doubts over…but dream or no dream, you are my sister."

"That's reassuring, Ani-chama." Mizuki said. "I've always been having the same dream, each and every night. Well…not exactly the same. The place is the same…but none of the things that happen are the same." Mizuki looked up at her brother. "Since it is a dream…Mizuki-chan's not all that afraid…but it's still scary to see such a boundless expanse of nothing…" Mizuki gestured at the waves upon waves of sand, all stretching out to infinity. "It's even scarier in the dark…" Mizuki said, darkly.

"In the dark? There's nighttime here?" Keitaro asked.

"Not exactly night time…more like darkness, just darkness." Mizuki explained. "Mizuki-chan saw it the last time Mizuki-chan had this dream."

"It is a bit chilly here…" Keitaro said, looking around. "Did the others show up too?" He asked, looking around for any signs of the other sisters.

"No. It was always only me." Mizuki said. "The dreams are so long…but I usually just sit down and wait.

"Well…since we're here, we might as well get moving." Keitaro said, offering his hand to Mizuki. "Shall we?"

"Mizuki-chan will go wherever you go, Ani-chama." Mizuki said, taking his hand. Together they made their way down the dune and into the wide expanse of deserted void.

"Well, if any of the others are here, then we'd bump into them sooner or later…hopefully…" Keitaro said. "Eh?" He noticed something sparkle on a side of one of the sand dunes. "Hey, Mizuki, check this out." Keitaro said as he ran for the brief sparkle.

He reached down and picked up the small, sparkling object. A long chain trailed out of the sand as he pulled it gently out of the sand. Sand trickled off as he lifted it into the open air.

"What is it, Ani-chama?" Mizuki asked.

"It's…Chiikage-chan's…" Keitaro said, giving the angel-winged crowned heart-shaped pendant. The silver cross in the middle of the red heart blazed brightly under the desert light. "I know this one's hers…her name is inscribed on the chain's clasp." Keitaro said, looking up at Mizuki. "Eh? Mizuki-chan? What's wrong?" He asked, noticing Mizuki's look of horror.

Mizuki lifted a finger at the horizon. Keitaro followed it and looked around.

Out on the horizon a large, dark dust cloud was rising, with dark obscure shapes moving amidst the rising sand. Keitaro took Mizuki's hand and instinctively turned away from the moving dust cloud, only to find another dust cloud rising in the opposite direction.

"Uh, oh…" Keitaro looked at both sides. "We're trapped…"

"If this is really a dream, Mizuki-chan wants to wake up…" Mizuki said, looking around for cover. "The ground's shuddering too, Ani-chama…"

"I know…" Keitaro looked about. Time was running out. The two clouds of dust were already close enough to distinguish between individual shapes in the obscurity. There were thousands of whatever they were.

Almost simultaneously, both sides shot beams of light at one another. One side shot a jet black ray while the other shot a pure white ray.

"WATCH OUT!" Keitaro shouted, pulling Mizuki down to the ground as the beams collided in the air above them. The air thundered as the shockwaves blew the dunes apart.

"THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!" Keitaro yelled, before everything faded into a bright pale white...

* * *

The sky was still a dark blue outside when Keitaro suddenly got pounced on in the stomach. "Oooph…" he gasped, as the wind was knocked out of him. 

"Nii-ya! Nii-ya! It's time for morning training!" Aria shouted excitedly as she sat on Keitaro's belly, shaking him gently. "Nii-ya? You're going to be late. Everyone's already gotten changed…"

"Uff…it was only a dream" Keitaro muttered, slowly getting up and picking up Aria. "Isn't it a little too early for you kids to…oh…morning training…" He yawned slightly as he looked around the room. The sisters were all dressing up in their traditional training bright red hakamas and white gis. Sakuya had to work extra hard to try and get Rinrin to get up and dressed.

"Anigimi-sama, I've prepared your hakama and gi for you." Keiko said, sitting beside Keitaro's futon and setting down Keitaro's dark blue hakama and white gi.

"Thanks, Keiko-chan." Keitaro said, standing up and stretching. "I haven't had morning training in months…I've probably gotten a little rusty."

"Well, you're still leading us, Aniki…" Rinrin yawned as she pulled on her gi.

"Hey! Don't change in front of me! I'm a guy!" Keitaro yelled.

"Huh? But you're my aniki, so you don't count as a male." Rinrin yawned again, pulling on her hakama.

"That's…a nice way to start off my day…" Keitaro sagged. Rinrin laughed and yawned again, picking up a long, cloth wrapped stick-like object from her bag. "Well...if someone can find my…oh, thanks, Keiko-chan." He said, as Keiko offered up a similar-looking cloth wrapped stick-like object. "Err…is Mizuki-chan awake?"

"Not yet, Anigimi-sama." Keiko said, gesturing at Mizuki's sleeping form. She was moaning and tossing and turning as Sakuya tried to shake her awake.

"She's still…dreaming?" Keitaro asked.

"Still…dreaming?" Keiko asked, slightly puzzled. "Where you…having strange dreams too, Anigimi-sama?"

"…too? You mean you had strange dreams too, Keiko-chan?" Keitaro asked, surprised.

"I will tell you about it later, Anigimi-sama." Keiko smiled. "It's best not to speak of ill dreams in the morning." She got up and helped attend to Mizuki.

"Ok….err…morning training first then…" Keitaro shrugged, dismissing the whole thing as just another freak occurrence. It was, after all, not the first time such a thing had happened. Last time, he had shared a dream with all the Hinata tenants over an old videogame. He shuddered a bit as he remembered it, before dismissing the entire train of thought completely.

* * *

Naru awoke slightly earlier than usual. The ceiling was a bright blue as the early rays streamed in from outside. She slowly got up and looked around. It felt rather chilly and she was very reluctant to leave her futon. But then a strange sound reached her ears. 

It sounded like someone shouting something outside. It was then followed by a chorus of shouts of at least 10 other people.

Curious, she slowly got up while keeping her futon protectively wrapped around her. She tiptoed to the balcony, not being able to stand the cold tatami mats.

She slid the balcony open slowly and shivered as the crisp, chilly air bit into her face. She walked out and looked down at the courtyard below her.

There was Keitaro, in his blue and white training hakama and gi, with a boken in one hand. (boken : Japanese bamboo sword) He was standing still with his boken straight in front of him. He then shouted another battle cry 'HYAH!" And with the fluidity and grace of a ballerina, he made a quick downwards slice.

His sisters, who were all standing in a row behind him, facing him, all shouted after him, "HYAH!", as they imitated his move. Their hakamas and gis rustled gently in the fresh morning breeze as the snow crunched under their straw sandals. Their synchronization was almost perfect as they went through their steps.

"Morning exercise?" Mitsune asked, walking up to Naru with two mugs of coffee in her hands. She handed Naru one who gratefully accepted it and clutched it close to warm her hands. "Wow…it must be cold down there….in the snow and all. I didn't know Keitaro was into martial arts…" Mitsune grinned.

"That…came as a surprise, actually." Naru said. "Though I did see a large collection of antique weaponry at the Urashima residence, along with a lot of martial arts trophies and awards."

"Ok, girls. Now take out your own mediums and start practicing. It's best if you could get at least 15 minutes of personal medium practice each day." Keitaro said, lowering his boken. "And then, you can watch the master wield his medium." Keitaro said, flexing his muscles, to cheers from the sisters.

"Well…I wonder what Shinobu's cooking for breakfast…oh, let's go and have a bath…the hot springs should already be piping hot now." Mitsune said.

"Oh…sure, that sounds great." Naru said, following her friend.

* * *

"Phew…morning training could take a lot out of you, especially after such a long time…" Keitaro said to himself, wiping off his sweat on a small towel as he walked towards the kitchens. His younger sisters had again asked him to take a bath with him but he had adamantly refused, not only out of decency, but also out of fear that he might again walk in on the other tenants bathing. 

As he walked across the living room he noticed two figures approaching the front doors. He squinted slightly to make out the shapes of the two people, silhouetted against the glaring sunrise behind them. Well, they were definitely girls.

"Is this the place? Are you sure?" One asked, her voice rather uncertain.

"It sure is. There could only be one Hinata Sou in this area. Besides, I used to visit this place when I was a kid." The other one said. "Should I ring the doorbell or should you?"

Keitaro decided to just welcome the visitors and, possibly, new tenants, and strode over to the door and opened it. "Welcome to the Hinata Sou, can I help…eh?" He wore a look of sudden surprise. "Well, uhh…can I help you, Makie-san? Izumi-san?" Keitaro asked, bowing slightly to the two ladies. One had the characteristic pink hair tied into twin short ponytails and wore a wooly vest and scarf over a long sleeved wool sweater and a pair of jeans, while the other had short pale grey hair and wore a long woolen white dress with a matching white vest and scarf.

"Oh…U…Urashima-sama…" Makie bowed, blushing profusely despite the cold.

"K…Keitaro-sama…" Ako too bowed, blushing.

"Ah….er...how are you two?" Keitaro's head bobbed up and down as he too tried to bow with each syllable. He noticed the two bags they were carrying. "Err…are you two looking for accommodation?" Keitaro asked, putting on his manager front, for fear that his face might burn off out of sheer embarrassment.

"Yes. Please take good care of us." Both Makie and Ako bowed again.

If Keitaro thought life in Hinata Sou just couldn't get any crazier…it just did. He looked up at the sky with wonder. Someone up there must be _very_ interested in him…

* * *

To be continued… 

The story's finally kicking into full gear. Now you all know the real reason I named this story 'Sister Princess', aside from the fact that the idea was drawn from the 'Sister Princess' anime. I found it a very cute idea and it was a scene I really, really wanted to do from the very beginning.

Oh, and some of you thought I'd actually discard Makie and Ako? Not a chance! No way I'd let such cute characters get away with only 2 chapters! That brings me to another issue, I have a very strict OC policy – I'll never discard any OCs I introduce so it's worth getting to know my OCs.

Also, some of you might be thinking that this story is moving on at such a slow pace. Yes, I know it is. But there's just so much material I 've got to cover before the January portion of the story. Please, bear with me for a bit. Thank you for your understanding.

For character profiles, sneak peaks, previews of upcoming chapters, for Sister Princess as well as my other works, feel free to visit our Fan Works Forum, the Unlimited Fan Works, accessible through the homepage link on our profile. Thank You.

Glossary of Japanese words:

Itadakimasu: a phrase uttered before starting a meal. It is more or less similar to the French 'bon apetit'.

Kendoka- someone who practices kendo, the way of the sword.

Futon: Japanese mattress. Placed on the floor with a blanket over it.

Boken: A Japanese bamboo sword, used especially for training purposes.

Tatami: Japanese floor mats made from woven long grass.


	7. Chp7: Realization

Chapter 7: Realization

By Zenithos

Thanks yet again for the really supportive reviews. I can't say how much appreciate your reviews. Having someone take a moment of their precious time to comment on my work feels like the highest form of acknowledgement to me, even if they are flames. It really does. I'm still a beginner, so every bit of feedback, comments, and maybe even flames are extremely helpful. So thanks everyone.

By the way, this has GOT to be the longest chapter I've written to date.

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, Mahou Sensei Negima, or Sister Princess.

Proofread by Beyond The Bounds and Eternity Incarnate

* * *

"…I'm sorry…I guess I really must apologize for you two losing your jobs like that…" Kietaro said, bowing apologetically all of a sudden as they entered the living room. "If there's any way for me to make it up to you…" 

"U…Urashima-sama…" Makie stammered. "It's…it's nothing. Nothing at all…" Her face was reminiscent of an overripe tomato, thrown in a mincer, before thrown out of a 10th story window.

"…R…Really, Keitaro-sama…." Ako said, her face the image of a red lava lamp. "It wasn't your fault. W…We wholly understand."

"Y…yes, exactly, it wasn't your fault." Makie echoed Ako's words.

"Thank you…Thank you very much, you two." Keitaro said, grateful. "And…about you two wanting to stay here?" He asked, gesturing for them to take a seat on the sofas.

"Well…um…After the incident at the residence, me and Ako had nowhere to go, so we set out together to find a new home and a new job…" Makie explained, looking down at her knee. "Grandma returned to Kyoto, back to our family home, but I told her I wanted to stay here."

"Err…and why is that, if you don't mind me asking…" Keitaro asked. "I know it's none of my business…it's just that I 'm a bit worried about your grandmother. Will she be all right by herself?"

"Ah…it's fine…I know you'd be concerned, but she said she'd be fine…." Makie managed before she started stammering again, "As for wh…why…I…I…" She went through the entire spectrum of red and almost burned as she reached infrared.

"Ah…umm…She just wanted to stay here." Ako supplied, trying to cover up for Makie's awkwardness. Makie breathed out a breath of relief and subconsciously placed a grateful hand on Ako's lap. Keitaro thought over this reason for a bit and finally nodded in understanding. "As for me…I…I just have nowhere else to go." She looked down at her feet. "Me and Makie heard that you ran an all-girls dorm with a really cheap rent, so we thought…well…it would be a great place to plant new roots and…umm…find a new life."

"Oh, that's great then." Keitaro said, standing up. "Then allow me to welcome you to the Hinata Sou." He offered his hand to Makie and Ako. Just then, a voice thundered through the Hinata Sou.

"URASHIMA!" Keitaro could already feel the air stir dangerously. "HITTING ON GIRLS AGAIN?! THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING?! YOU PERVERTED LOWLY WASTE!" Motoko shouted, as she stormed into the living room. "TODAY I'LL HAVE YOUR LIFE!"

"Motoko-san?! Didn't we have this conversation yesterday? I said no violence!" Keitaro shouted.

"You really think a lowlife like you has the right to order me around?" Motoko asked, her temper reaching its peak. She raised her katana and pointed it at Keitaro.

"Excuse me?" Makie asked. "Urashima-sama used to be…"

"I'LL DESTROY YOU!" Motoko shouted.

"Ahem…" Keiko coughed dryly as she entered the living room, in a fresh hakama and gi. Motoko's eyes turned towards her and flared.

"N…Nii-ya didn't do anything wrong" Aria mumbled, looking out from behind Keiko. "Please don't…" Tears were brimming in her eyes.

"Karen-chan is sure Onii-chan didn't do anything wrong…" Karen ventured, also peeking out from behind Keiko.

"Onii-tama never hurts anyone…" Hinako mumbled from behind Keiko, tears brimming at the corners of her eyes.

"…" Motoko continued to glare at Keiko, before someone shouted out from the direction of the kitchen.

"Breakfast's ready!" Shinobu announced. Suu was, as usual, the first to bound through the kitchen door. "Oopph…Suu-chan, breakfast's in the dining room…" Shinobu managed, trying her best to regain her composure after having her air knocked out by Suu's air tackle. "Remember? We can't fit everyone in the kitchen…" Shinobu explained, trying to stand up. It was a completely superfluous act on her part. Suu just didn't have any attention for anything other than where the food was and how much was there.

Motoko finally turned around and stormed off towards the dining room, leaving the others standing, slightly disoriented, in the living room.

"Well…that was a close call…" Keitaro said, looking about as one by one the rest of the sisters filtered into the living room on their way to the dining room. They stopped as they noticed Makie and Ako.

"Makie-neechan! Ako-neechan!" Shirayuki, Karen, Aria, Hinako, Hinata, and Mizuki cried out.

"Hi everyone!" Makie smiled, as the children crowded around her and Ako.

"Oh, Marie-chan, there you are." Ako said, as Marie was pushed into the room on her wheelchair by Sakuya.

"Ako-neechan!" Marie cried happily.

"It's only been a day and I've already started to miss you." Ako said, as she approached Marie. "Have you been taking care of yourself properly?"

"Yes, Ako-neechan." Marie smiled up at her former nurse. "It's so good to see you again."

"Likewise." Ako smiled, giving Marie a tight embrace.

"Ok, everyone…I'll introduce Izumi-san and Makie-san after breakfast. For now, please stay quiet." Keitaro pleaded. "Please understand, Izumi-san, Makie-san, things are a little volatile at the moment. It's best if we play it safe. It's just that, as you saw before with the young lady, the tenants here are very prone to misunderstandings." Keitaro explained.

"Oh…umm…don't mind us…" Makie said, shaking her head.

"Yes, your judgment is always the best." Ako nodded in agreement.

It wasn't long until the rest of the house arrived in the dining room. Breakfast worked like magic. It could summon whole armies out of the pits of laziness and depression and send them off to fight wars for just about any reason, even reasons like 'your granddaddy stood up my grandma'. It was probably the only political super weapon more powerful than the megaphone or spearmint bubblegum. It was fortunate for the universe and unfortunate for the political leaders that nobody had yet discovered this fact.

It was certainly working its magic on the Hinata Sou residents. Everyone was so happily munching that they were completely oblivious to the presence of two new faces. Keitaro had expected this. In fact, he had been counting on it. Hopefully, by the end of breakfast, the other tenants would be in a more emotionally fit state to accept the fact that the two new tenants once worked for him. Though he knew that was no reason for upset, he also knew the tenants would, despite yesterday's lecture, find a way of making it a reason for upset and therefore use him as human pinball, as Motoko had tried to do a few moments before.

"Err…everyone? I would like to introduce two new tenants who've just arrived today…" Keitaro said, standing up, once he sensed everyone was well-fed and satisfied for the time being. "Some of you might already have met them at the residence. This one here is Sasaki Makie, and this is Izumi Ako." Keitaro said, pointing out the two.

"Wait…I've seen you…" Naru said. "Oh, you were one of the maids working at the residence, weren't you?"

"And you were the nurse attending Keitaro's little sister…" Mitsune added.

"Urashima…" Motoko stood up again. "What's the meaning of this? These girls worked for you? And now they're moving in here? Are you abusing your rights as an employer?!" Motoko's eyes drilled into Keitaro's as she unsheathed her blade.

"Ye…umm…" Naru quickly buried her impulse to stand up and blast the living daylights out of Keitaro. She quickly told herself to calm down as she gave her logic a chance to function. No, Keitaro hadn't done anything wrong. These girls have just lost their jobs and their home, remember that. They probably came here in search of a place to stay…that's right. No reason to be angry. Calm down. Her logic somehow triumphed over her emotions.

More or less the same train of thought had gone through Mitsune's mind, but with less of a hostile inclination. Apparently, a full stomach really helps dampen any hostile thoughts. Shinobu, meanwhile, was still waiting for an explanation, though she didn't have a decision on hostility pending at the end of it. Suu, on the other hand, was busy downing her 6th plate of pancakes and was on the verge of downing the plate along with it.

"It's not like that!" Keitaro shouted. "Please, just give me a moment to explain the whole…"

SLASH…CLANG…

"I've told you repeatedly, nobody assaults Anigimi-sama…" Keiko said, as calm as ever, the long metal rod from the day before out yet again. It had halted the progress of Motoko's katana as it aimed straight for Keitaro's head.

"…" Motoko closed her eyes and sheathed her sword before sitting back down. Keiko too sat back down. But she still kept a watchful eye on Motoko.

"Well, since the girls lost their jobs back at the residence, they've come to stay here." Keitaro continued his explanation. "Err…well, everyone, why don't we give them our usual welcome?"

Everyone stood up and hollered out the words from the night before, "WELCOME TO THE HINATA SOU!" They shouted, before clapping and cheering for the two new tenants.

"Thanks everyone, I'm hoping to get along with all of you!" Makie shouted.

"Yes, please take good care of us." Ako bowed. Makie followed and bowed too.

"Well…that settles that. Now, what about desert?" Keitaro asked.

"I think Suu-chan had finished it all…" Shinobu sighed.

* * *

"Ok…I'm off, everyone." Keitaro said, buttoning up his suit as he came down the stairs. 

"Err…Keitaro, are you going to another funeral?" Naru asked, looking up at him from the sofa.

"Nope, I'm off job-hunting." Keitaro said, taking out the list Haruka had given him the night before. "I need to show these people just how serious I am."

"Onii-sama…" Sakuya said, walking over to Keitaro. "You can't go find a part-time job wearing a suit…they'd never accept you."

"Well, I've got to give a good first impression. Besides, it shows just how dedicated and committed I am." Keitaro explained.

"Well, in that case…good luck." Sakuya said, straightening out Keitaro's tie.

"Err…thanks, Sakuya-chan…" Keitaro said, gratefully.

"Ako! Hurry! All the good jobs would already be taken by this time of the year!" Makie shouted, coming down the stairs, still dressed in the clothes she had worn when she arrived.

"Yes, I know." Ako said, following after her, also still dressed in the same clothes.

"Oh, you two are job hunting too?" Keitaro asked.

"Oh…ah…Urashima-sama…" Makie blushed again. "Umm…yes…pretty much so…"

"Why not go together." Keitaro offered. "I've got a list of good places to go look for jobs."

"Oh…if you don't mind…" Ako said, pushing Makie along, who had gone silent with what could be shock or possibly even pure joy. "It would be a big help, thank you, Keitaro-sama."

"Good luck you three!" Both Sakuya and Naru shouted as they saw the three of them off. As the two of them turned back, their eyes met. Naru smiled sweetly by impulse. Sakuya, on the other hand, gave her a dark scowl and walked away at a brisk pace.

"Ah…Sakuya-chan…" Naru called after her. "What's wrong with her?" Naru wondered out loud as she followed Sakuya into the inn.

* * *

Little Aria was lightly skipping down the corridors of the Hinata Sou as she tried to find the others. She was enjoying the feeling of the warm sunlight pouring in through windows as she twirled around, her arms outstretched under the light. 

Suddenly, she turned around. There was something slowly making its way down the corridor. It was a small metallic turtle, rapidly yet silently flapping its wings as it maintained steady high altitude.

"Wai…Wai…" Aria cried, giggling in her usual quiet voice, chasing after the turtle as it turned around and slowly picked up speed as it went back down the corridor. "Wait for me, turtle-chan!" She cried happily as she raised her hands towards the turtle in an effort to capture it.

It suddenly disappeared around a corner. Aria quickly rounded the corner, only to find herself in an empty corridor. She looked around for any signs of the turtle while calling out, "Turtle-chan! Turtle-chan!"

She suddenly turned around. There was a cute and cuddly little teddy bear sitting on the floor. She quickly ran over to it and picked it up. "So kawai…" She cooed as she cuddled it tightly.

She had completely ignored the signs painted on the floor under the teddy bear and on the walls around it that said 'Teddy tea party in room 301'. She even ignored the tea set and teddy pictures drawn on the floor with arrow markings leading off down the corridor. She merely walked off in a completely different direction, satisfied with her cute little find.

"Hmm…hmm…plenty of new data…now I know about your little secret…" A voice said from behind a wall, chewing a banana. "Mecha-tama, good job." The obscure figure patted the metallic turtle before dissolving into the darkness, laughing maniacally.

* * *

"URASHIMA KEIKO!" Motoko shouted, slamming open the door to Keitaro's room. Indeed, inside was Keiko, alone, sorting out her sisters' clothes. Keiko politely looked up and smiled at Motoko, despite Motoko's intense glare. "I CHALLENGE YOU TO A DUEL!" 

"A friendly sparring match?" Keiko asked, cocking her head to one side in thought. "But I'm not that good a martial artist…." She said, which, obviously, is complete and utter modesty.

"NO! This is for real! A fight to the death between two honourable samurai! Loser does anything the victor says!" Motoko shouted at the little 12 year old, raising her katana.

"I'm not a samurai. Rather, I'm training to become a samurai's wife." Keiko smiled. "But very well, an Urashima, samurai or not, must not back down from a challenge." She stood up. "I only ask that whatever the outcome of the battle, the decision of the victor must not have anything to do with anyone else, especially my brother."

Motoko pulled her katana an inch out of its sheath. "Agreed."

"Oh, calm down, please. We can't fight in here." Keiko laughed, picking up her long metal rod with the leather sheath at one end as well as a pure white katana. "I believe there was a clearing by the waterfall. That would be secluded enough." She suggested, walking past Motoko and into the corridor.

"Don't you dare turn you back on me! Are you mocking me?!" Motoko shouted.

"No, on the contrary, I'm honouring your pride as a samurai. I know an honourable samurai would never strike an opponent from behind." Keiko smiled. "Very well, let us make haste. I must help with the laundry later today."

"YOU ARE MOCKING ME!" Motoko growled, but followed along at a sedate pace, knowing full well that what Keiko had said was as true as her samurai pride. In her heart, she was quite awed by this girl. From whatever angle she looked at her, this girl was almost a real life 'Yamato Nadeshiko' (Perfect Japanese lady). But she'd be damned before she ever said that to her face.

* * *

Rinrin was walking about the halls with nothing much to do. She had finished moving in her lab equipment into her brother's room. She didn't really have any projects in mind at the time, so she resorted to walking around in search of an inspiration. 

She noticed a strange hum come from a room she passed. She knew the hum. It was the characteristic hum of a high performance nuclear reactor. What it was doing there, was what baffled her the most.

On the door to the room was a huge sign that said 'Kaolla Suu's laboratory. Test Subjects Welcome.' Below the sign was a diagrammatic representation of an atom. Not the usual Solar System model of an atom, but, rather, the more realistic Niel Bohrs model. At that instant, Rinrin immediately judged that this person was someone who knew her science, and knew it well.

She gave a few cautious knocks. No answers. She was about to open the door when a thought occurred to her. She ducked and started searching the corners of the door, all the way up until she found what she was looking for. 'Bingo' she thought. She was getting more and more impressed.

The door was protected by at least a dozen well placed security mechanisms that, if tripped, would trigger an alarm and who knows what else. But Rinrin wasn't a genius inventor for nothing. She knew how to bypass just about any security system. It was, after all, a requirement of all the dorm residents of her previous dorm if they ever wanted to go out on a Saturday night, or, say, go to the bathroom.

She took out a simple, handphone-like gadget which she gently raised towards the security mechanisms protecting the door. The lights on the mechanisms turned green as the doors slid open.

Rinrin, upon sneaking in, was confronted with the most bizarre thing she has ever seen…a mad scientists' laboratory and a rain forest all in one. She's heard of mad scientists living up in cold, dreary castles, domes under the sea, or even canons perched on moons, but a jungle inside a room? This was truly pushing it.

The hum of the generator was just one part of the cacophony of voices that graced her ears. There were monkeys chattering out there in the forests, birds cawing, and she could have sworn she heard an elephant out there somewhere.

"…so…she's indeed blind cause she completely missed the 2D messages I wrote on the walls and floor…but she could sense moving objects and stationary objects easily in a 360 degree angle …." A voice said from somewhere up above. Rinrin looked up and spied out what looked like a tree house perched precariously on the branches of an acacia tree.

"Oh…by the way, Keitaro's little sister…" The voice said. Rinrin froze with shock. She was found out? "Suu-chan's impressed…" Suu said, dropping down behind her. "You made it this far without getting killed. Suu-chan has found a worthy adversary…" Suu grinned, giving Rinrin a thorough inspection as she walked around her.

"Uhh…you're…Kaolla Suu, aren't you?" Rinrin asked. "Umm…Aniki had mentioned that you were…"

"Yes, a mad scientist!" Suu shouted, leaping backwards onto a bough of a tree and assuming a heroic pose. "I, Kaolla Suu, am dedicated to carrying into the world into a bright future blessed with science, with or without force, even if I have to drag it in kicking and screaming!" She said, waving a fan with a Japanese flag on it.

"Wow…your lab is certainly…impressive…" Rinrin commented, looking around. "I've seen that particle accelerator over there in a last weeks 'Tech Geeks'."

"Oh, that old thing? It's performance was so poor that I had to customize it quite significantly to get the anti-matter particles I wanted." Suu said, leaping back down. "Suu-chan's still stuck with the magnetic field flux orientation…I can't keep the particles stable enough at low speeds."

"Try routing it through a flux capacitor and a resonance oscillator. If the anti-matter particles are negative enough…" Rinrin suggested.

"…Then they should resonate and neutralize the effects of the field orientation, thus achieving stability…" Suu threw a fist down on her palm. "You're a genius!" Suu shouted, leaping up the tree again.

"Err….right…thanks…" Rinrin said.

"By the way…is there anything you can tell me about your sister, Urashima Aria?" Suu asked, throwing a lot of junk-like items out of the tree house.

"Well…She's nice, and cute, and is really…" Rinrin started.

"She's blind, right? As in completely and utterly unable to see?" Suu asked, picking up an old resonance oscillator and squinting up into a hole on its side.

"Yes…she is…why?" Rinrin asked, wondering where this way going.

"Cause I just made a discovery." Suu said, looking down at Rinrin. "Your sister is capable of sensing 3 dimensional objects, moving or non-moving, in a 360 degree angle around her." Suu said, picking out a good flux capacitor, a spring-like object with many tubes protruding here and there. "But she is indeed blind, as she cannot see 2D images."

"Oh…Really…?" Rinrin asked. She knew, off course. It was common knowledge to the Urashimas.

"You knew, didn't you?" Suu asked, looking down at Rinrin again. "Catch." She threw down the flux capacitor and the resonance oscillator at Rinrin.

"…" Rinrin remained quiet as she caught the two weird looking objects. This girl wasn't one to be messed around with, she could sense that. Anyone with nukes and positron cannons in their rooms were never to be messed around with. It's rule 1 of instinctive survival.

"Well…" Suu said, with a triumphant air, "I think I've figured it out!"

"What?" Rinrin asked, shocked.

"Your sister…" Suu grinned, "Could sense things by…"

Rinrin's eyes went round with amazement. Not only did this girl get it right 100/100, she even got the basic concepts right along with all the minor details. It was a completely thorough analysis. This was the first time anyone outside the Urashima clan could see through the trick so clearly…

* * *

"Sakuya-chan?" Naru called out, finally summoning the bravery to talk to the young teenager. She had, after aimlessly wandering around, finally decided to talk one on one with Sakuya, and finally tracked her down at the laundry drying area, where Sakuya was leaning against the railing, looking out at the snow frosted forest. 

Sakuya looked around and noticed Naru. She immediately walked off, intending to pass Naru and go straight inside the Inn. But Naru had expected that and took precautionary measures. She grabbed Sakuya's arm and held her in place. "Ok, I don't know what your problem is, but we'll never get anywhere with you being all stuck up like this."

"Oh, I'm the stuck up one now, am I?" Sakuya said, glaring at Naru. "Let go of me!" She shouted, pulling her arm away from Naru and running into the inn.

"H…hey!" Naru shouted, running after Sakuya.

"Stay away from me!" Sakuya shouted, breaking into a full run.

"No! We're going to talk about this!" Naru shouted as they raced down the stairs. Suddenly, Sakuya tripped and fell headlong down the stairs. Naru, inexplicably, tripped at the exact same spot and tumbled down after Sakuya, before a resounding crash echoed through the air and everything went dark…

"Um…have I fainted?" Naru asked the gloaming darkness in general.

"No, cause I can still hear you talking, unfortunately." Sakuya said curtly.

"What's with that attitude of yours, anyway?" Naru asked.

"That's _my_ question." Sakuya said. "What do you have against Onii-sama?"

"Err…." Naru, contrary to herself, found herself stumped. This was beyond university trigonometry. This was something she HAD to think about. "Well…that's…not your business, is it?" it was the most creative answer she could come up with.

"…It is my business…" Sakuya muttered. "He is my Onii-sama, after all. Nobody should be allowed to go around hurting him." She looked around at the general darkness. "What is this place, anyway?"

"Oh, right…" Naru suddenly realized that they were in a dark space for the first time. "Well…let's put aside our differences for a moment and find a way out."

"There isn't one on my side." Sakuya said, after a few minutes of trying each and every bit of wall, floor, and ceiling around her.

"Nothing here either." Naru said. "We're trapped in a small, closed, dark space…where could we be, I wonder?"

"Sigh…it's all your fault…" Sakuya said.

"My fault? You led us down here!" Naru retorted.

"Yeah?! You're the one who took that picture with Onii-sama!" Sakuya shouted, hotly, before she could stop herself.

"Picture?" Naru asked.

"Oh…it's nothing. Forget what I said." Sakuya said.

"Oh…that photo sticker…" realization dawned on Naru. "You're worried about that photo sticker, are you? The fact that me and Keitaro took one together?" She taunted, trying to get a reaction out of Sakuya.

"Listen, I know how you and the others treated Onii-sama for the past few months. I know he was forced to do menial tasks not fit for even slaves. I know you people fed him nothing but instant noodles for at least 4 or 5 months. And I know you've been beating him up on an almost hourly basis! I know all that! I even know why you did it! You people don't even know Onii-sama well enough to pass any judgements, and yet…" Sakuya shouted, almost hysterically, as she released all the pent up anger she had kept hidden for the past two days. "And you think you've got the right to even start talking about MY attitude? Look in a mirror, why don't you?"

"H…what? That's not….true…" Naru looked down, knowing full well there was absolutely no way she could deny it. Now that someone else pressed the issue on her, especially someone who would, theoretically, know Keitaro far better than she did, she was forced to confront her own actions with logic instead of emotions as she usually did before. Her heart steamed as she realized that every bit of what had happened were all accidents and misunderstandings…just as everything else so far had been.

She had unjustly accused Keitaro of a variety of crimes he didn't, at least intentionally, commit. She had also put him through months of mental and physical torture, and she even enjoyed it. She felt sick and ashamed now that she was confronting herself with her own moral values. It felt twisted. She was twisted. She had become delirious with the feeling of power and control, believing that justice was on her side.

She was finally, as Sakuya put it, looking at herself in a mirror.

"….now that you say it like that…" Naru mumbled. She had always seen herself and the other tenants as the victims. The way Sakuya put it, Keitaro was actually the victim. And it was true. All true. No matter how she tried to avoid it now, her conscience had finally reared its ugly head and slammed the fact in her face. Keitaro was the victim and Naru had been severely unjust to him.

"And…and…he still took a picture with you…" Sakuya mumbled. "He's so nice…so caring…so generous…so forgiving. I know he'd never hold a grudge against anyone…but now that I'm here, I'll hold those grudges for him. I'll protect Onii-sama, especially from the likes of you! None of you deserve his kindness and generosity!" Sakuya shouted. "It's all wasted on you people!"

"I…I…" Naru stammered, at a loss for words. Sakuya was pinning down every bit of these painful facts without mercy. Naru knew Keitaro was a really decent, caring person, and even that was still and understatement. She now wondered at how her past self could even start thinking that such a good person could be anywhere close to being capable of committing heinous deeds. "But…but…" She knew denial would get her nowhere. It was impossible now. The ego inside her was screaming with pain. There was no way she could protect it now. It was at the mercy of Sakuya.

* * *

"Draw your weapon, Urashima!" Motoko bellowed at the 12 year old, clutching the hilt of her katana. Keiko merely held out her metal rod and her katana while bowing slightly. 

"I, Urashima Keiko, present to you my naginata and my katana." Keiko said, straightening up. She placed her katana in her hakama's belt and balanced her naginata under one arm. (A naginata is a Japanese halberd, thus the long metal rod.).

"I can't care less for formalities, especially with the likes of you!" Every bit of Keiko's politeness and grace was infuriating Motoko further and further. "Unsheathe your weapon!"

"That would be unnecessary…" Keiko smiled.

"You dare underestimate me?!" Motoko screamed, leaping forwards into a dash. "Then die!" She aimed a rapid slash at Keiko.

Keiko smiled serenely as Motoko's blade missed her by a full meter.

Motoko turned around and aimed another horizontal slash at Keiko…which somehow missed her again, this time by full 2 meters. Motoko looked around at Keiko who was calmly smiling a few feet off, looking not the least bit shook by Motoko's attacks. In fact, it seemed as if she hadn't even moved a muscle.

Motoko looked around at her surroundings. She found a number of good landmarks by which she could judge Keiko's movements. She marked Keiko's position before launching into another attack. This time, it was a ki blast.

The ki blast carved a neat trough through the rocky ground before blowing up a large rock into crumbling dust. Motoko looked around as the dust settled around her. There was Keiko, still smiling serenely. Motoko looked around at her landmarks and found that…Keiko hadn't moved at all. Her attacks were missing her by ludicrous distances. Even a blind person would only miss her by, say, a feet. Her ki blast had missed Keiko by a full 5 meters.

"You depend too much on your eyes." Was all Keiko said, as she raised her naginata and spread out her legs into a fighting stance. "The eyes are most untrustworthy, especially when you are blinded by rage. It is most easy to manipulate the perception of an enraged person." She smiled. "Well…I believe tricks and whatnot are fun, but it wouldn't be fair to you since you wanted a real fight." Keiko said, digging her feet into the ground.

Motoko waited for a moment, feeling ridiculed. Then she raised her katana and charged again, this time keeping on the lookout for any suspicious movements.

Nothing strange happened. Keiko merely raised her naginata to counter Motoko's blade, just as she had done on two previous occasions. Motoko, judging the naginata to be a slow weapon, decided that out-speeding it would be the best tactic. She brought around another slash at an open point by Keiko's side.

Keiko, with the fluidity and grace of a calligrapher, moved her wrist ever so slightly. It caused the naginata to come around and stop the progress of the katana. Undeterred, Motoko raised her blade again and brought it down diagonally at Keiko's shoulder.

Keiko, with another subtle wrist movement, countered the attack. This time, she followed it through by giving Motoko a gentle yet audible smack on the side with the end of her naginata, all the time retaining her smile.

"An enraged person's moves are so very easy to read…am I dropping too many hints?" Keiko asked.

"How dare you…" Motoko spat, before leaping backwards and sheathing her blade again. "I've underestimate you…but now, I shall no longer hold back. Prepare yourself." She said.

"Very well then, since you have honoured me by not holding back, I shall return the honour by doing the same." Keiko bowed slightly.

"DIE! SHINMEI-RYU OUGI! ZAN GAN KEN!" Motoko bellowed, her blade singing as it flew out of the scabbard and sent a roaring wave of ki at Keiko.

Keiko dug her feet into the ground and slammed the edge of her naginata into the ground. She brought it around, its sheathed edge slashing through the ground, before she threw it upwards at the approaching wave of ki, which blew up and dispersed, leaving behind a cloud of smoke and dust.

Motoko waited as the smoke subsided. Suddenly, a dark figure grew more and more distinct as it flew through the haze, before it resolved itself into the shape of Keiko, her eyes set with determination. She raised her naginata and delivered a complex series of thrusts and slashes, with well calculated feet and body movements.

The sound of steel clashing on steel resounded through the clearing as Motoko did her best to counter the attacks. She realized that Keiko was capable of using ki, since she was able to disperse that ki wave. But now she wasn't delivering a single ki attack at her.

It was beginning to annoy Motoko. The moves Keiko were performing were all basic naginata moves, only delivered at greater speed and precision. This could only mean that she, at her level of martial arts, had more advanced moves and techniques up her sleeves which she hadn't even started using. This was definitely ticking off Motoko.

Motoko spun her katana around and shouted, "Shinmei-ryu! Ougi! Rai Mei Kin!" She shouted at the top of her lungs as pure white lightning arched around her blade. She brought it down on Keiko, who quickly spun her naginata around to counter and disperse it. Her naginata shuddered violently with the shock of the attack as the ground underneath her cracked with the pressure. Keiko looked around at the ground. She gasped. Cracks had formed networks all across the clearing. The ground itself had sunk slightly. It won't be long until the ground gives away, she thought.

Seeing her chance as Keiko was distracted, Motoko executed another ki attack, "ZAN GAN KEN!" She shouted, sending another ki wave searing towards Keiko. Keiko, taken completely by surprise, without any time to bring around her naginata for another counter, resorted to drawing her katana. It sang beautifully as it slid out of its scabbard, the sunlight dancing brilliantly across its blazing surface. It seared through the ki wave and dispersed it.

Motoko, not losing a single moment, followed through her assault and delivered another ki strike right where Keiko was open. "ZAN KU SEN!" She shouted, slashing the ki attack into Keiko's abdomen at point-blank range.

The blast sent Keiko flying across clearing. She turned around in midair and landed in a crouch, skidding a few meters across the rocky ground. She looked up at Motoko who was dashing straight towards her while clutching her suddenly pulsating abdomen with her katana hand. She looked down at the ground. Cracks had formed all across the rock, and were converging exactly where the troughs left by the ki attacks crossed.

"NO! STAY BACK!" Keiko shouted, standing up. Too late. The ground gave away under Motoko with an ear-splitting moan and roar. "Aoyama-san!" Keiko shouted, leaping after her, falling after her into the pitch black hole.

She quickly sheathed her katana in midair and reached out for Motoko. "Grab my hand!" She shouted.

"NO!" Motoko shouted. "I'd rather die!"

"Then we both will!" Keiko shouted, reaching out and grabbing her hand by force. She unsheathed her naginata, spun it around and slammed both ends into the rock walls lining the hole. The naginata's blade and end burst into sparks as they cut into the cold hard rock.

Slowly, yet surely, they slowed down.

"Phew…that was a close one…" Keiko breathed a sigh of relief. "Are you all right down there?"

"Aside from you having mortally wounded my pride, well, all's well." Motoko spat.

"Good. Pride is easy to repair. A flattened body, on the other hand, isn't." Keiko said. "I'm going to swing you to into the rock wall. I don't think I can handle your weight anymore."

"Are you saying I'm fat now?!" Motoko shouted.

"One…two…three!" Keiko heaved, swinging Motoko into the rock wall.

"HEY!" Motoko shouted, slamming into the wall and scrabbling for a foothold, before finally slamming her katana into the rock. "Do you want to kill me?"

"…I don't think I can hold on any longer…" Keiko winced, looking up at her naginata, which was slowly slipping out of its hold in the wall. Her fingers too were aching horribly. Motoko WAS too heavy. She winced as the pain inside her abdomen pulsated again. "Ulp…that…ki attack…was for real, wasn't it?"

The rock wall gave away and Keiko dropped down into the abyss.

"URASHIMA!" Motoko shouted. "Grr…." She pulled her katana out of the rock and followed after her.

* * *

"He took a photograph with you…" Sakuya muttered. 

"All right, I must admit, you were right…I was really horrible to Keitaro. I probably should've given him a chance to explain himself each time incidents happen. Heck, I should't have put him on the instant noodles ration. And yes, I treated him worse than a slave, and now I feel sick thinking about it. Haven't you given me enough?" Naru sighed. "I feel like a complete jerk now…"

"Why…why did he take a photograph with you? A person who never cared for him…who treated him unjustly…why?" Sakuya looked up at Naru. "I'm asking you, WHY?!"

"I…I don't know…" Naru said. "It was…an impulse thing…Keitaro was about to take a photo by himself, and…I just stepped in, thinking it was a bit sad for him to take photos by himself…"

"…" Sakuya remained silent for some time. "It's just that…I feel…I feel like you people might now him better than we do…and I can't accept that." A few tears brimmed in Sakuya's eyes. "Onii-sama is…is everything to me. But he's been away for so long, we thought, he had forgotten about us. Every time he sent us letters, he would tell us about how wonderful you people are…" Sakuya hugged her knees. "He seemed so happy around you people…it hurts to think he was out there with other people we don't know while we didn't get to see him much. But then I learned about how you treated him. I thought, 'how could this be?' then I thought 'they must be taking advantage of Onii-sama's kidness'." Sakuya said. "I hated that…I love Onii-sama so much, but the world seems to want to take him away from me…"

"Nobody wants to take your brother away from you, Sakuya-chan." Naru said. "He's still your brother, no matter where he goes. Besides, you know him so much better than all of us put together. You made me realize what a nice person he really is." Naru said, taking out her handphone. "Tell you what, allow me to become your friend and I promise I'll make better friends with your brother. Your friends are my friends, right?" Naru smiled, opening up her handphone.

"As long as you try to be more civil to my brother, then, why not? I need to keep an eye on you anyway." Sakuya said.

"Ok, whatever you say." Naru said. "Darn…no signal…oh, wait…I found an opening…" Naru said, raising her cell phone over the cracks in the wooden wall. The blue green glow lit up a small, almost invisible latch in the wall which Naru successfully pulled open. "C'mon….If I ever get out of this place alive, I promise you, I'll apologize to your brother for everything I've done to him."

"I'll keep you to your word…" Sakuya said, following Naru through the opening. They crawled out into a long, dark wooden corridor, line with solid wooden doors on either side.

"I know Hinata Sou has a basement…but not something like this…" Naru gasped, raising her cellphone as high as possible to shed more light on the corridor. Unfortunately, there just wasn't enough light.

"It's the ancient lost halls. Hinata Sou is full of them. The ones on the upper levels are small and fun to play in, but the ones under the hill are whole collections of labyrinths…we were always warned not to venture down here." Sakuya said, shivering. The air down in the lost halls was near freezing point, being a good few hundred feet under the ground.

"Ok…do you know your way around this place?" Naru asked.

"No. Onii-sama may know a bit of it. But we were always forbidden from setting foot down here." Sakuya said, trying to warm her hands. "It's a maze down here. If you get lost, you're finished. The tunnels go on for miles, extending all throughout Hinata city."

"Your ancestors built all that?" Naru asked, looking around. "Well…let's hope that really stupid theory about knowledge getting passed down genetically does really work, cause otherwise, it seems we stand no hope in frozen-over-hell." Naru looked around. "Well…my intuition tells me we should go this way." Naru said.

"It says 'hilltop sanctum' on this signboard pointing that way." Sakuya said. "Well…if we do get to the old hill sanctum, then it would be easy to go back downhill to Hinata Sou."

"What are we waiting for? Let's go then." Naru said.

A long half hour later…

"These tunnels just keep going on and on and on…" Naru moaned. "The wooden walls gave away to solid rock a few minutes ago…and it seems like we're going downwards…Aghh! This rock floor's biting my feet through the soles of my shoes!"

"Just keep on going…" Sakuya said. "We're bound to…hey!" A rumble sounded somewhere in the distance. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear wha…AGHHHH!" Naru screamed as something big fell down heavily on her. A few heavy boulders fell all around them as the entire cave rumbled angrily.

Sakuya instinctively looked up, just in time to see something whistling through the air towards her. "Yipes!" She cried as she stepped aside, just before the naginata struck through the rock she was standing on just a few moments before. The naginata shuddered, making a sound reminiscent of a ruler springing on a table's edge.

"Keiko-chan?" Sakuya asked, crouching down beside Keiko, whose fall had been broken by Naru's back. "Keiko?!" She shouted, cradling Keiko in her hands as she realized her sister had passed out. "Keiko! What happened?!"

A few sparks fell from above before Motoko slid down the wall with her blade and landed on the ground beside them in a crouch. "Is Keiko all right?" She asked, standing up and looking at Keiko. "…The internal wounds seem bad…we've got to get her out of here, fast!"

"What?! Internal wounds?!" Sakuya shouted in disbelief. "How on earth did she get internal wounds?!"

"It was my fault, all right!" Motoko shouted. "Now get moving!"

"…You've got some serious explaining to do when we get out of here…" Sakuya said, darkly.

"Hey…did I j…just miss…anything?" Naru asked, standing up, wobbling slightly.

"Hurry up, Naru-sempai!" Motoko shouted, pulling Naru into a run.

"Uhh….yeah…sure…" Naru muttered, dizzy.

"But…but…where are we supposed to go?" Sakuya asked, carrying Keiko on her back. Motoko and Naru skid to a stop. "We're not even sure we'd make it to the hilltop sanctum. We're still going downwards here!"

"The hole above us has sealed up too…" Motoko said, looking up. "What do we do? Keiko might not survive…"

"Keiko! Please…hold on!" Sakuya shouted. "I don't want to lose anyone anymore, especially not you!"

"There has to be an exit around here somewhere. If these were escape tunnels, there would be exits built into the tunnels every few hundred meters to allow for cave-ins and…" Motoko said, searching the walls, before a part of the wall swung open in her face, knocking her out.

"Oh…so this is where it led…" Rinrin said, poking her head out through the opening. "Even boiler rooms have secrets, huh?"

"Hurry up, Rinrin, before anyone realizes we stole the boiler's spare parts!" Suu shouted from behind her. "Oh…" She looked up at the surprised faces of the others. "Hi…"

"No time, get moving!" Sakuya shouted, shoving Suu aside and entering the opening. "Rinrin, this tunnel leads to the Hinata Sou boiler rooms, right?"

"Yes…it does…" Rinrin said, slightly disoriented with everything. "Keiko-neechan! what happened?!" She cried, noticing Keiko's state.

"No time to explain. We've got to move! Fast!" Sakuya shouted, heaving up Keiko and running up the tunnel towards the boiler rooms.

* * *

"Hime-chan think this would be something nice to try out for dinner desu-no." Shirayuki said, pointing out a recipe to Marie, who was seated beside her on the living room sofa with Kaho and Chiikage. "what do you think, Marie-chan, desu-no? It would make a nice dish for Nii-sama's congratulations party desu-no." 

"Yes, that would be nice, Aneue-sama." Marie said, smiling at her big sister. "But…what if Aniue-sama doesn't find a job?"

"Though Hime-chan thinks it's unlikely, we'd have to make it a cheer up and good luck party desu-no…" Shirayuki said. Kaho immediately pulled on Shirayuki's sleeve for attention.

"What is it, Kaho-chan, desu-no?" Shirayuki asked. Kaho shook her head and balled her hands into fists, raising them up and down in front of her chest. "Oh, you're saying it's completely impossible for Nii-sama not to find a job, is that right, desu-no?" Shirayuki asked. Kaho immediately nodded, her eyes alight with confidence.

"You're right, Kaho-chan. We shouldn't doubt Aniue-sama." Marie smiled at her younger sister. Kaho beamed up at them.

"Oh…disaster…" Chiikage said ominously, as she drew a 'death' card from her pack of tarot cards. Marie, Shirayuki, and Kaho turned to look at her.

"Disaster, Chiikage-neesama?" Marie asked.

"Yes…" Chiikage said, drawing out another card. She looked at it thoughtfully for a moment before adding, "Right about….now…"

The door to the living room slammed open as Sakuya rushed in carrying Keiko. "Marie-chan! Please! Take a look at Keiko-chan! Quick!"

"…I'll do my best." Marie said, taking in the situation and immediately taking charge. She lowered her hands over Keiko who Sakuya gently laid on the sofa in front of her. She closed her eyes as her hands glowed brightly. "Hmmm…"

"Oh…" She opened her eyes.

"What is it, Marie-chan?" Sakuya asked, panicked.

"It's…diarrhea…" Marie said.

"Disaster indeed desu-no…" Shirayuki said, still wearing a worried look.

Suddenly, a loud sound emanated from Marie's stomach. "Ughh….my…stomach…" She winced.

"What's diarrhea? Is it edible?" Suu asked. Everyone mentally winced at the idea.

"He…hey! Marie-chan!" Sakuya cried as Marie suddenly bent double over, clutching her stomach. Her stomach too suddenly gave out a loud, painful grinding sound. "Ughh…wh…what did we…eat?"

"I…don't know…" Rinrin groaned, falling to her knees, clutching her stomach. Kaho too doubled up and fell forwards to the ground.

"Th…this…this can't be happening…desu-no…" Shirayuki groaned, supporting herself on a wall as she too bent double over her stomach. "It…it had to be the onions desu-no…" She said, before she too fell to the floor.

"B…bathroom…" Motoko moaned, before she too collapsed, wincing and twitching.

"Ch…Chiikage-chan…call for help…" Sakuya said.

"…this is a disaster?" Chiikage asked, drawing out another card. "Oh…I see…" She said, before she dropped the cards and ran for the bathroom.

"T…Traitor…" Sakuya groaned.

"It's every girl for herself…" Rinrin shuddered as she heaved herself up. "…Bathroom…"

"Onii-sama…I'm done for…" Sakuya reached out, before falling to the floor.

"Is everyone all right?" Suu asked, looking around.

"….Suu-chan…." Shinobu moaned as she dragged herself into the living room. "Wh…what was it…that thing…you told me was…sesame oil?" Shinobu managed, shivering violently as she reached out for Suu.

"Oh…that? That's sesame oil from my home country." Suu replied happily. "Back in our home country, we use it to grease our ox carts and sometimes heavy machinery, like particle accelerators, for example." She explained happily.

"That…explains…a lot…." Naru groaned, scraping her way towards the bathroom.

"We're…doomed…" Shinobu gasped. "Se…Sempai…I love you…" She whispered, before passing out.

* * *

"This is just great…" Keitaro sighed, sitting back on a bench. "Half the day gone and I'm still unemployed…" He looked up at the sky as he reflected on what had happened. 

They had first gone to a local clinic that was advertising for assistant nurses. Black was a colour deemed unsuitable for clinic workers and since first impressions were important and Keitaro's suit was black….well, let's say Izumi Ako got the job.

"I'm so sorry, you two…" Izumi had bowed and apologized repeatedly to Keitaro and Makie, who repeatedly told her it was all right.

Next came a job at a local bakery. Keitaro, again courtesy of the suit, struck them as a professional looking for a high pay while Makie struck them as, well, Makie. It went without saying that the job went to Makie.

"I…I…I apologize…" Makie bowed repeatedly, apologizing with overflowing tears, while Keitaro had to repeatedly tell her it was all right.

The next job was at a bar. It had gone well. The boss liked him. But just as he got into the rhythm of the job, Mitsune appeared. Not only did she try to flirt with him to have him pay for her bill, she also suddenly complained about having stomach pains. Since it was Keitaro cooking her snacks, well…he got fired.

Two more jobs afterwards, he still had no luck, thanks to the suit. Well, how was he to know that black gave people the impression of dreariness, depression and somberness? He was halfway through the list and not a single person wanted him as a part-timer. He sighed and fell backwards into the bench. "Aghhh…What am I to do…"

"Ani-chama?"

"Onii-chan?"

"Onii-tama?"

"Onii-chama?"

Keitaro opened his eyes. Behind him stood Mizuki, Karen, Hinako, and Hinata, all smiling upside-down at him. He raised his head and turned around. "Oh, hi girls, what're you all doing?"

"We're out shopping for tonight's dinner!" Karen said. Little Vanilla mewed happily from its position on Karen's shoulder.

"Look! Look! We got plenty of veggies and goodies for dinner!" Hinako cried.

"Dinner is a guaranteed success, Onii-chama!" Hinata said.

Keitaro suddenly found a magnifying glass shoved into his face, "How's the job hunt, Ani-chama? I can see you're still working hard." Mizuki said, encouragingly, squinting at Keitaro, half winking.

Keitaro's mind suddenly went back to the day of the funeral…

"Do you want to reduce you sisters to living in poverty along with you, just as you brats deserve, or would you take advantage of my kindness and leave them in my hands?" Marciano's laughing face loomed up in front of him. "Well…we'll see…what kind of income this brat could scrounge up in half a year...haha, that's something I'd like to see."

"I'm…doing fine!" Keitaro said, laughing, standing up. "All the potential employers are out for lunch breaks right now, so I'm just here killing time."

"Oh, that's great then." Mizuki smiled. "Keep up the good work, Watson." She smiled.

"Ani-chama! Checky!" The toucan on her shoulder squawked.

"Good luck, Onii-tama!" Hinako shouted.

"Don't give up, Onii-chama!" Hinata jumped up and gave her brother a quick hug.

"Yes, I'm praying for your success, Onii-chan." Karen said, squeezing his hands.

"Yes, I'll definitely do my best." Keitaro said, balling his hands into fists. "I'm Urashima Keitaro! Hard Work is my middle name!" He laughed in a triumphant manner, blowing out his chest.

"Haha, Onii-chama's so cool!" Hinata shouted.

"Well, we'd best get going. Shirayuki-chan wants to have the ingredients ASAP." Mizuki said, shepherding the other children down the road. "Let's go children. Good luck, Ani-chama!" The younger sisters all cheered for him and echoed Mizuki's words.

"Thanks guys!" Keitaro shouted. "thank you…" He sighed, as they disappeared down the road. He looked down at his list. There weren't that many left. But he had to try his best. For their sake. For the sake of his family.

"Well…I guess I'll try this one next…" Keitaro sighed as he turned around to head down the road. Suddenly, a loud screeching noise came from around the bend which caused him to turn his attention to it.

A white van came spinning down the ice covered road, screeching this way and that, straight at Keitaro.

"GYAAAAA!" Keitaro screamed, standing still like a deer in headlights. As the van came closer, instinct took control over his body and tossed him onto the ground, just as a resounding crunch and smash filled the air.

"Ughhh…" Keitaro slowly picked himself up from the road and looked around at the totaled van. It had crashed into a tanuki statue that, ironically, said 'safety first'.

"Ughh…Sarah-chan? Are you all right?" A voice said from inside.

"Hai!" Another voice, a little girl's voice, replied from a back seat.

The driver's door opened slightly, and stopped. Apparently it got jammed. "Oh my…hahahahaha….seems like my door's jammed." The voice said from inside, repeatedly trying to open the door. Keitaro flinched in fear as, suddenly, the door of the van flew out with a resounding smash and crashed into the snow.

A rugged-looking tall man climbed out of the cab and fixed his square spectacles as he stepped onto the snow outside. He was dressed in a black shirt and black pair of heavy duty trousers, covered by a worn out white lab coat. But the most striking thing about him was that a line of blood was streaming down his face from the edge of his jet black hair.

What was more remarkable was that he was laughing heartily as he inspected the damage of his van. "Oh no…what am I going to do now?" He laughed. "The meeting's at 2.00….I've got…minus half an hour…wow, I'm already late…" He laughed again, looking around at his engine. "Wow…the bumper's bumped off…all these little bits have gone flying everywhere…" He laughed again, this time, even more heartily. "I wonder if I can find someone who could help me fix this…" He looked around and noticed Keitaro, smiled, and turned to fetch his toolbox.

"E…excuse me!" Keitaro called after the man, feeling the need to offer assistance. "If you don't mind, can I help? I've got a bit of experience with machines." Keitaro said, taking off his suit and tying it around his waist.

"Oh, that would be much appreciated young man. Thank you." The man said, smiling at Keitaro. "Well, first of all, I don't know how much we could do with these tools…" The man said, opening up the toolbox and showing Keitaro an assortment of worn-out tools.

"This is fine…" Keitaro said, sorting through the tools. Some of them looked like they've survived through both World Wars. A few of them even bore Nazi and Allied symbols. But most of them were still in good condition. He looked around at the van. "This'll only take a minute…"

"What's your name, young man?" The man asked, smiling a broad smile.

"Um…Urashima Keitaro." Keitaro said.

"Oh…really? My name's Noriyasu Seta…" The man smiled an even broader smile.

"Wait…I think I've seen you somewhere before…" Keitaro said, frowning.

"You might have…" Seta laughed. "Now…what do we do with this? Is this thing necessary?" Seta asked, pulling something out of the front of the van.

"THAT'S THE ENGINE!" Keitaro shouted, a look of pure incredulity and disbelief on his face. He mentally corrected himself, this might take more than just a few minutes…

* * *

To be continued… 

Moment of truth, Naru-chan. Looking in the mirror hurts, doesn't it? But I hope this doesn't count as Naru-bashing cause I sort of like her, despite her many trespasses against Keitaro.

By the way, has anyone noticed that though we've reached chapter 7, the story itself has only reached the middle of day 4 of the story?

By the way, thanks a lot for making it this far. I really appreciate your efforts in following the story. Thank you.

Also, if you have the time, please take the time to read Eternity Incarnate's newest story, 'My Perfect Little Wife', also here in the Love Hina section. Me, Apocalypse Alchemist, and our friends put her up to it, so it's only fair if I support her a little. Haha. For the full story of how we put her up to it, check out her story. I think she added a description of the event.

For character profiles, sneak peaks, previews of upcoming chapters, for Sister Princess as well as my other works, feel free to visit our Fan Works Forum, the Unlimited Fan Works, accessible through the homepage link on our profile. Thank You.

Glossary of Japanese words:

Kawai : cute

Yamato Nadeshiko: Perfect Japanese lady

Ki : Spiritual energy. In martial arts, ki attacks are usually referred to as soft attacks. In contrast with hard attacks which are for physically damaging a body's exterior, soft attacks are aimed directly at internal organs.

Tanuki : Raccoon.


	8. Chp8: Picking Up The Lost Dream

Chapter 8: Picking Up The Lost Dream

By Zenithos

Thanks again for the supportive reviews. I'm still learning step by step, so each and every comment, suggestion, or even flame means a lot to me. Thanks everyone.

Oh, and one additional note. I don't mind anonymous or unsigned reviews, but if you'd like me to reply to the review, then please submit signed ones, or, if it's a particularly pressing issue and you don't have a FF .net account, then please include your e-mail. Thanks.

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, Mahou Sensei Negima, or Sister Princess.

Proofread by Apocalypse Alchemist.

* * *

"Ok….errr…this should go here…" Keitaro mumbled to himself as he tried to get the radiator into a somewhat serviceable state. The only problem was that it looked like something built by a World War I engineer after coming back from the other end of the universe. So did every other part of the van's engine. It was old, but it was definitely a custom job, and Keitaro could see it's been through quite a bit. There were gunshot holes in some odd places, burn scorches here and there, and what looked like claw scratches in some places too. 

He also found that some parts of the engine were held together with scotch tape, paper clips, and even rubber bands. He even found that the van's axle shafts had been replaced with bamboo.

When he pointed this out, Seta said, "Oh, that? Got those from the Chinese highlands after surviving an avalanche on Mount Taishan. They're stronger than steel, I can tell you that."

Who was this man?

"Wow…you're doing a good job there, boy." Seta said, nodding with approval. "You seem to know quite a bit about machines…"

"I have a little sister who's mad about machines. I had to learn quite a bit to be able to teach her what she wanted to know." Keitaro explained, pulling out what looked like an arrow from inside the radiator.

Just as he was wondering about the arrow and what on earth it could be doing inside the radiator, something knocked it out of his hand. "What?" Keitaro looked down at the arrow on the ground. Suddenly, his hammer, of its own accord, went ping and fell off the engine cab. Keitaro looked at it, puzzled, before shrugging and reaching out for a nearby screwdriver…which also went ping and rolled off the engine cab.

"Huh?" He looked around, before something small, sharp, fast, and definitely painful collided with his forehead. He fell backwards.

As he caressed the stinging spot on his forehead his eyes fell upon a cute little figure in a fluffy, slightly oversized coat, snow cap, trousers, and long scarf, sitting atop the car, smirking in the universal language of annoying smugness. In one hand she held a hand catapult. In the other, a well smoothed stone chosen especially for aerodynamic efficiency. This was definitely skill at work.

She pulled her catapult backwards and let fly another stone, straight at Keitaro's head. Bullseye. Keitaro went reeling back into the snow once again. "Ouch…." Keitaro moaned, caressing the now throbbing spot on his head. He slowly got up and looked the girl in the eye.

Sure, he had mischievous little sisters, but none of them ever shot anything at his head.

Intentionally, anyway…

Ok, maybe sometimes intentionally, but always out of jest. None of them ever shot anything at him with the intention of giving him concussions.

This brat was definitely there to spread pain and hatred. She grinned maliciously again as she loaded another stone onto her catapult.

"Err…Seta-san? This girl…?" Keitaro asked, moving backwards, looking for cover. He picked up the dislodged engine cap and used it as a shield.

"Oh, her?" Seta asked, from behind the van, where he was trying to find a spare tire. How hard was it to find one? But as it turns out, Seta had littered the road behind the van with tons of ancient junk ranging from large monolith idols to burnt-out alien artifacts, in his search for his elusive tire. "She's…err…my daughter. Her name's Sarah." Seta said, throwing over his shoulder an ancient rubber ducky he had found in an ancient Mayan ruin, which bounced across the road and distracted a few drivers.

"Err….Sarah? I'm trying to fix your daddy's van…ummm…can you please…HAH!" Keitaro shouted with triumph as the stone bounced off the makeshift shield. Meanwhile, out on the road, a few screeches rent the air as a number of cars crashed into an utter traffic fiasco, all on account of a little ancient rubber ducky.

The girl's smug smile turned into an annoyed scowl, as she pulled back her catapult again. This time, she aimed lower. "Sarah? Can you please allow me to get on with…OUCH!" Keitaro cried in agony as another stone made contact with his face. "H…how…" He wondered in pain as he fell backwards into the snow yet again. But his fall had saved him from another stone which skimmed off the surface of the snow and bounced upwards, missing his face by mere centimeters as he fell. "Oh….smart…"

"Oh….it's all fixed." Seta said, walking around to the front. "Sarah, you weren't giving the nice young man any trouble, were you?" Seta asked.

"No, papa, off course not." The girl smiled sweetly at her father, leaping down into his outstretched arms.

"Uhh…" Keitaro shook his head a bit as the pain slowly diffused into his skull. He looked up at the girl, opening his mouth to say a few words of reproach. He stopped as he saw the happy scene between the father and daughter, both laughing animatedly as Seta raised Sarah up into the sky. He couldn't help but smile as he got up and brushed off the snow from his clothes before going back to the engine cab.

"Well….I'm almost finished here…" Keitaro said, reconnecting a few tubes here and there. "Ok….err…I think that should get you as far as the next gas station." Keitaro said, closing the engine cap.

"From what I saw, young man, I think this thing could take me as far as Western Russia and still be kicking for more." Seta smiled at Keitaro as he put Sarah down on the ground. He turned the ignition. "Nice work…Far better than any ordinary mechanic…" Seta nodded with approval as the engine roared into life, with so much strength it almost flew off its wheels. "Say….young man, you wouldn't happen to be looking for a job, would you?" He smiled a slightly mischievous smile, a strange, yet confident shine in his eyes.

"Y…yes, definitely." Keitaro stammered, hardly believing his ears.

"Then come with me. I could use a pair of hands as capable as yours." Seta said, nodding at the car.

"W…wait…you haven't answered me properly…have we met before?" Keitaro asked again.

"Young man, I've got tons of work to get through, not to mention I now have…minus an hour to get to my meeting…" Seta said, looking at his watch as he got into the driver's seat. "So hop on."

"Y…yes, sir!" Keitaro said, leaping into the passenger seat.

"First of all, here." Seta said, handing him some superglue. "Those artifacts in the back need gluing together. Use those magic hands of yours, assistant."

"Wh…what?!" Keitaro gasped as he saw the entire museum's worth of destroyed ancient junk in the back.

Then he looked around at Sarah, who was sitting on one side, looking innocent, with a sledgehammer in one hand. She shot a malicious grin at Keitaro and indicated with a nod a small disc shaped artifact on the floor. Keitaro's eyes focused on it.

SMASH…

Keitaro blinked down at the remains of the artifact, now merely a scattered collection of dust on the floor of the car. It was cleanly removed by a breath of wind. Keitaro looked up at the source of the breath of wind, who was now smiling smugly once again, shouldering the sledgehammer.

Keitaro could somehow sense that this girl hated his guts. If she thought she could do that just because she's his new boss' daughter, then she had another thing coming….

SMASH…

There goes a highly fragile and valuable ancient Chinese Ming vase, taking Keitaro's sanity with it…

* * *

"Have you found it yet?!" Marciano shouted as she paced around the Urashima residence's living room, which had been upturned and, in essence, disemboweled. 

"No, mother." April said, saluting. "We've searched the entire compound and we haven't even found clues appertaining to is whereabouts."

"I want the entire house ripped apart and torn down. I want it, April. And I will have it." Marciano shouted, almost hysterically. "I've worked my entire life for this…don't let me down!"

"Mother, it's not here. We're completely positive it's not here." February said, entering the room with January by her side.

Marciano's expression suddenly went dark with bitter realization. "…those brats…they must have taken it with them…" Marciano muttered, sweeping out of the living room.

"Madame Marciano!" Rokubunji called out.

"Listen, Rokubunji," Marciano said, turning towards Rokubunji with a scowl set on her face. "I don't want to know what it takes…I want those Urashima brats. Heck, if you can get me that Hinata Sou as well, it'll be even better." She said, with a threatening tone.

"Th…that's actually the problem, Madame. The court's doing their best to turn the case in our favour, but Matsura's already put forwards an extremely difficult case first thing this morning. The legacy itself must go to the children, no matter what any wills say." Rokubunji explained. "The only way to retain control over it, at this point, is to become their legal guardian." Rokubunji explained. "But the good news is the court has called the case put off until January, so we've got plenty of time to think up a counter-attack."

"Legal guardian, huh?" Marciano looked thoughtful for a moment. "I can't care less about the inheritance, Rokubunji. But I need to get what those brats are hiding. How do I become their legal guardian?"

"Well, Urashima Keitaro is still the probationary guardian at this moment." Rokubunji explained. "He has 6 months to acquire a proper income and to ensure his sisters' wellbeing. Within those 6 months, if there are any confirmed reports of him abusing, mistreating, neglecting, harming, or exploiting his sisters, or should he fail in acquiring an income, then he will be stripped of all guardian rights and it will be transferred to the next willing volunteer."

"So…." Marciano nodded, smiling maliciously, "That's all it takes? Well…it'll be really simple then…all we've got to do is make it look like he neglected them and allowed them to come to harm…" She turned to her daughters, who had assembled in the shredded living room. "Girls….I want you to arrange….an accident…"

January and May grinned maliciously. June and July smiled. April and Sep frowned as they looked at their sisters, before looking back at her mother. March merely remained as quiet as ever. August, Ocia, Nove, and Diesse meanwhile, giggled childishly, not understanding what was going on, but excited all the same. April gave the younger ones worried looks and looked around at Sep, who shook her head slightly and looked around at their mother.

"Yes, mother!" All 12 sisters shouted.

"Good girls…." Marciano smiled, turning around. "Very good indeed…" She said. "Oh so very good…"

* * *

"Tokyo-U…." Keitaro murmured, looking up at the majestic clock tower in the middle of the gigantic campus. "…I've completely forgotten about it…" He sighed. 

"Hey, assistant!" Seta called. "Thanks, you really saved my life!" He said, running off in some random direction. "I'll call you again when I need help. I gotta run!"

"Ah…." Keitaro called out. "My…my salary?" He said, weakly, before sighing again. "Oh well…I guess it's already great that I got a job…." He leaned back on the van and looked up at the sky. "…I've already failed it twice…why'd I even think I have a chance the third time?"

SMASH…..

"Hey, baka! Don't act like you can't see me!" Sarah said, blowing a bubblegum.

Keitaro slowly reached up to his head and felt the cracked pieces of china. The superglue didn't even have a chance to dry yet….

"Ahahaha….I just fixed these…poor china…" He said weakly. He looked around at Sarah. "Err…Sarah-chan….why'd Seta leave you here just like that?"

"Oh, he does that very often." Sarah sighed, shrugging.

"Is that right?" Keitaro asked. 'Oh well…guess I'll just take care of Sarah while he takes care of his business….I am his assistant after all…' Keitaro thought.

SMASH….

Another ancient-artifact-turned-projectile smashed into his head. He slowly turned around to face Sarah.

There were times when big brothers had to handle their little sisters when they are being…difficult. Sure, his little sisters weren't often particularly difficult. In fact, they had matured so quickly that Keitaro was worried they actually bypassed their childhood. But perhaps the same tactics would work here.

"Sarah-chan, what do you say we go to the library and find you a good book to read or…" Keitaro's valiant attempt ended with another resounding smash and the loss of yet another treasure of human heritage. This time, it was an ancient porcelain vase base.

"…ok, I understand you're bored and you want something to do, but hurling those priceless artifacts at me sure is a waste of history. I mean, imagine the loss…." Keitaro tried a different tactic. SMASH…This time it was an alien-shaped ornament.

"…right…right….what exactly do you want to…" Keitaro said from behind the porcelain head that had stuck onto his head.

SMASH….

"Wow….you've got a really hard head, you know that?" Sarah remarked, nodding sagely at Keitaro, who's porcelain head had just cracked in two, revealing a solemn face with eyes obscured by a pair of cracked glasses.

"Oh…he's angry…" Sarah said, giving Keitaro's face an appraising look.

'…patience…patience…' Keitaro fought furiously against the beast that was raging against his inner rib-cage. "Ok…" Keitaro put on another cheerful smile, although the edges of his mouth couldn't help but quiver. "…The arcade?" He managed.

"….you really think bribes will work on a little girl like me?" Sarah asked, looking up innocently into Keitaro's eyes.

"….I dunno…you tell me." Keitaro answered, scratching his head.

SMASH….

"….not from you, idiot!" Sarah shouted, running away.

The cactus artifact that had embedded itself into Keitaro's head cracked in two and splattered on the floor, joining the rest of its other unfortunate brothers and sisters.

"….difficult…" Keitaro sighed. The throbbing pain in his head was killing him.

Suddenly, a much stronger nerve impulse burned through his senses. It was a sliding, burning pain down in his lower guts.

"Ughhh…wh…what?" He fell to his knees. "What…is this?" His muscles went tense and limp at the same time as he fell forwards into the snow. "Agh….must…go…after…Sarah…" He gasped, reaching out to drag himself back onto his feet.

No use.

His entire body went rigid as the pain raged through his abdomen, rendering the rest of his body cramped.

"Ani-kun!" A voice called out.

"Ah…." Keitaro's head spun as his mind sluggishly tried to process what he just heard. Ok, the voice said 'ani-kun' which could only mean it was one of his little sisters. He dizzily looked up his personal index of sisters and matched the call to Chiikage.

"Chii…Chiikage-chan?" Keitaro groaned.

"It's already started…" The blurry image of Chiikage carrying a crystal ball, half covered with a piece of cloth, approached him.

"This is only a temporary remedy…" Chiikage said. Keitaro noticed that she had taken out a bottle of water. The water gently sparkled as Chiikage poured it out over one hand, letting the water trickle out from between her fingers.

Keitaro's vision went out as the pain took up the entire volume of his sensory capacity.

"Ani-kun…." Her voice echoed in his head before everything faded out into darkness.

* * *

"Ughh…" Keitaro moaned as he slowly opened his eyes. The last thing he remembered was that he was suffering from immense pain. What on earth was in his breakfast? 

He suddenly realized the pain was gone. Then he realized so was the university. He was floating down a long, twisted, dark red tunnel. Well…at least he thought it was down. There was absolutely nothing to tell the orientation with. Floating down alongside him was an assortment of strange objects. They were obviously domestic objects such as chairs and tables…but there was something completely off about them. For example, one of the mirrors floating down was showing a TV broadcast.

A chair behind him was prancing down the tunnel.

And was that wardrobe making suggestive moves at him?

What the?

He looked down at himself. He was again in the cloak he wore in his dreams the night before.

He was floating towards a brilliant orange light. Above him there was only pitch black darkness. He suddenly remembered where he had seen this tunnel. It was the rabbit hole in that Alice in Wonderland video he watched with his sisters a long time ago.

Why a rabbit hole?

He suddenly realized there was something entwined around his right hand. He looked down at it. It was Chiikage's pendant that he had found in the dream the night before.

But why was it here?

One of the mirrors floating by caught his attention.

In it was someone who looked a lot like Chiikage, wrapped in pure black robes, surrounded by darkness.

She was crying.

She was lost.

Keitaro reached out to the mirror and opened his mouth to shout.

The mirror shattered and exploded in his face.

* * *

"GASP!" Keitaro gasped as he woke up with a start. He raised a hand to his shaking brow. It was wet with sweat. He looked around, trying to get used to the gloaming darkness. 

It was a library….or rather, a book storage. It didn't seem to be used often enough to be called a library.

Books were stacked in odd piles in places. Some were scattered on the floor. Rows upon rows of bookcases took up the rest of the room.

On one side, resting against a bookcase, was Chiikage, snoozing lightly. A few tarot cards were scattered beside her. Her small crystal ball lay by her side.

"Chiikage-chan?" He slowly got up from where he was lying against another bookcase. He suddenly noticed a small, wet paper talisman stuck on the front of his shirt, bearing the kanjis for 'healing dew'. He gave a little chuckle as he stood up and stretched.

He looked down at this watch.

He had been out for at least an hour. Wow…

Which reminded him…Sarah. Where is she?

The doors to the storage room opened suddenly. "hehe…that idiot won't be able to find me in here…" a little figure said as it briskly dusted off the snow off her coat.

Keitaro immediately took cover behind a bookcase and quietly peeked around the corner. Yes, it was his lucky day…

"GOTCHA!" Keitaro shouted with triumph as he leapt out at the girl.

CLANG…

He came face to face with a gigantic ancient bronze bell.

"Wow….you actually found me, idiot. I'll give you credit for that." Sarah said, leaping up a pile of books.

"…Ughh…Sarah, can we please talk for a moment without you throwing…" Keitaro's voice reverberated inside the bronze bell as he walked up to the pile of books.

SMASH….

A large disc-shaped artifact slammed into the bell, causing it to clang violently. Keitaro's brains threatened to disintegrate from the thundering clang in his ears.

The bell finally gave away and split in two, for some strange anime related reason. Keitaro slowly turned his head up to Sarah, an ominous grin on his face.

"That's it!" Keitaro shouted, leaping up the pile of books….which Sarah kicked, sending it along with Keitaro crashing to the floor.

"Why don't you just leave me and Seta alone! I'm finally getting along with him, and I don't want outsiders like you butting in between!" Sarah shouted.

'So that's it…' Keitaro thought, finally grasping the situation. "Listen, Sarah, I have no intention of…"

CRUNCH…

A gigantic set of dinosaur teeth (wielded by you-know-who) embedded itself in Keitaro's head.

"AAAAAAAGH!" Keitaro screamed in pain.

CRASH…

For a moment of two, the entire storage room shuddered violently as thousands of books thundered onto the floor. Plaster and dust rained down in choking clouds from the roof.

Keitaro had acted on pure instinct, grabbing Sarah and Chiikage and throwing himself to the ground.

"Ooomph…what was that for, idiot?!" Sarah shouted. Chiikage, meanwhile, somehow remained soundly asleep.

"Wh…what was that?" Keitaro looked around.

Part of the wall had collapsed in one place where a white van had crashed through it.

"Err….Noriyasu-san?" Keitaro asked.

"Ah…oh dear, oh dear…." A tall lanky figure stepped out of the van, obscured by the dust and plaster. He became progressively more distinct as the smoke and dust cleared up. "Oh….you?" He noticed Keitaro, who had slowly gotten onto his feet. "Oh, Sarah-chan's here too…hahaha, sorry about that, Sarah. I completely forgot about your existence again." He laughed heartily. "Oh, and you're my assistant, right? I completely forgot about you…oh, and your wages too. Hahahaha. Thanks for taking care of Sarah though."

"He's always like that…" Sarah whispered to Keitaro.

"Is he? What a….err…fascinating person…" Keitaro managed. "Err…you crashed in at the right time, Noriyasu-san. I almost died back there…" He said. 'Well, the crash itself almost killed me anyway' he thought.

"Well…" Seta scratched his head. "Err…as you can see, assistant, I'm pretty much an archaeologist. The university's archaeology department's a bit under-funded and understaffed, so I usually get all my research done by myself." He explained, though Keitaro could see that he was slightly unsure of his point. "Well…the thing is, err…" He scratched his head furiously. "I'll be needing quite a bit of help with lots of things. Research, digs, and whatnot. That's where you and your magic hands come in, assistant." Seta nodded at Keitaro.

"Err…Thank you for the opportunity…" Keitaro said, rather uncertainly, bowing.

"As for your salary…how much do you want?" Seta asked.

"Eh? I don't know. How much would you give me?" Keitaro asked, caught completely off guard.

"Hmm…well, I could afford a starting pay of about 50.000 yen a month. What do you say?" Seta asked.

(note: 50.000 yen is equivalent to around 500 US dollars, though it doesn't stretch as far as in the US as the cost of living in Japan is almost twice as expensive as in the US)

"Ah, that's great." Keitaro nodded, glad for just about any amount money.

"Anyway, that's the first time I've seen Sarah get along so well with someone she just met." Seta remarked, nodding with approval.

"Eh?" Keitaro's mouth fell open.

"Err…?" Sarah was lost for words.

"That's great, cause I've got to go to a meeting down in Okinawa." Seta announced. "So, can you please take care of Sarah for me for a few days? Thanks. I really appreciate it!" Seta said, leaping back in his van without giving Keitaro or Sarah time to have a say. "See you Sarah, take care!" The van accelerated backwards at an insane speed through the university courtyard (crashing through a nearby watermelon stand) before coming into a crashing stop at a tanuki statue.

"H…hey! Noriyasu-san!" Keitaro shouted after Seta. "Was I hired as a babysitter?!"

"PAPA! WAIT!" Sarah shouted.

The van's lights blinked on. The hazard lamps clicked on. The wipers suddenly came to life. It then roared forwards, straight back towards the hole in the wall.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Keitaro grabbed Sarah and Chiikage again and leapt out of the way as the van zoomed back through the hole and out through the wall opposite before speeding off across the university.

"Errr…." Keitaro pointed wordlessly at the new hole in the wall.

"I told you, he's always like that. Oh well…" Sarah sighed. "I guess I'll just have to let you take care of me today…"

"Hey! Don't make it sound as if you're the one with troubles!" Keitaro shouted. He looked around at Chiikage, who still seemed to be asleep. He sighed and shook his head, smiling at Chiikage. "You always push yourself too hard, you know that?" He said to his little sister's sleeping face.

SMASH…

"Hey! You're supposed to take care of me." Sarah said at the clay figurine head that obscured Keitaro's head. "Anyway, what's this?" She pulled off the paper talisman on Keitaro's stomach.

"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" Keitaro screamed, doubling over his stomach.

"Oh…something important, huh?" Sarah asked, giving the talisman a bored look.

* * *

"Was it ok? Leaving Sarah like that, I mean?" A tall, broad shouldered, dark haired man asked Seta from the passenger seat beside him where he had sat unnoticed throughout the entire escapade. 

"Ah, it's fine, Higuchi. I left her with Urashima Keitaro, after all." Seta said confidently.

"Good point." Higuchi nodded with agreement.

"It'll be good for her to spend a few days with the Urashima sisters." Seta said. "She might learn a thing or two from them."

"Patience and self-control, for example." Higuchi nodded.

"Ahahaha…yes, two of the main things, really." Seta laughed.

"Though I'm sure it'll work the other way too. You can't help but get influenced by Sarah's boundless energy." Higuchi remarked. "The sisters would need that, especially after what's happened."

"Very true." Seta said.

"….Sarah…." Higuchi couldn't help but sigh as he thought about the energetic little girl. "She's trying so very hard to make it seem as if nothing's wrong…."

"She always acts so strong." Seta nodded. "But in fact, I know she really wants to just let it out. She's lost so much." Seta sighed as he looked at a picture of Sarah on the dashboard. "She's never allowed me to see her cry, to allow me to comfort her." He shook his head. "Which is why I'm hoping she'd open up to Keitaro."

"But Urashima-sama can do just about anything. I have a lot of faith in him." Higuchi said. "He's a true descendant of the Urashima clan."

"Yes. That he is. There's no doubting that." Seta nodded.

"But….was it pure coincidence that you hired him to be your assistant today?" Higuchi asked, giving Seta a suspicious look. "….the whole thing seems far too convenient…"

Seta merely laughed good-naturedly, which is a good sign that he wasn't going to cough up an answer anytime soon. Higuchi sighed and gave up, knowing it was futile.

"By the way, Seta?" Higuchi asked.

"Yeah?"

"You're driving on the wrong side of the road." Higuchi said calmly.

"Oh, so I am." Seta laughed happily. "I thought everyone else was driving on the wrong side…" A few tire screeches and honks filled the air as the van swerved around the traffic and back onto the right side of the road.

"Seta, I know you and your van are invulnerable, but the rest of us aren't." Higuchi said, as the van narrowly avoided collision with an oil tanker, crashed into a watermelon stand instead, before skidding on the watermelons and falling over a bridge. "And it was absolutely no use reminding you about that, was it?" Higuchi sighed.

(By the way, in case you don't remember, Higuchi's the guy from the beginning of chapter 1)

* * *

"Wow…so you live here?" Sarah asked, looking up at the Hinata Sou. "It's gigantic!" 

"Yeah." Keitaro said, coming up behind her, carrying Chiikage, who was still snoozing, on his back.

"By the way…I forgot to ask you. Who is she?" Sarah asked, pointing at Chiikage.

"She's my sister, Chiikage. I'll introduce you when she wakes up." Keitaro said.

"Hmmm…A loser like you has such a beautiful sister? What was she doing at Tokyo U?" Sarah asked.

"Err…" Keitaro was at a loss at how to answer at that.

"Oh, Keitaro, you're back." Naru greeted as she came up the stairs. "Oh, what happened to her?" She asked.

"Chiikage? Oh, she just fell asleep." Keitaro answered, heaving her up.

"Oh…I remember her saying she wanted to go out and find you." Naru said. "Oh, and did you feel any stomach pains? Or ill in any way?"

"Funny you should ask that." Keitaro said, walking towards the front door. "I just survived a Richter 9 bowel earthquake."

"Yeah, we all went through that." Naru nodded. "It was Suu's sesame oil."

"Ah…that explains a lot." Keitaro nodded sagely. "But it seems you're doing fine. What about the others?"

"Well, we passed out for some time…then when we woke up, we were all ok…" Naru said. "The floor was all wet for some reason though."

"Oh…wet floor huh?" Keitaro looked back at Chiikage's sleeping face and smiled. 'You're one naughty girl, you know that?' he thought.

"By the way, Keitaro, is she one of your sisters? I'm kind of losing track…there's too many of those little angels." Naru said, smiling, nodding at Sarah.

"Oh, her?" Keitaro looked down at Sarah. "She's the kid of the teacher I'm working for. I have to take care of her for….wait, I don't even know how long…"

"Huh?" Naru looked down at Sarah. "That's a bit irresponsible of your boss, isn't it? Leaving a child like her at the mercy of a perverted stranger like you?" She whispered to Keitaro.

"He…hey!" Keitaro protested.

"She's so cute." Naru smiled down at Sarah.

"Nice to meet you. I'm from California. My name's Sarah Mcdouggal." Sarah bowed.

"Wow…so polite too." Naru nodded with approval. "Your Japanese's really good, Sarah."

"Yeah, my dad taught me." Sarah smiled sweetly.

'What is she planning to do?' Keitaro wondered quietly, frowning in suspicion.

Sarah grinned maliciously back at Keitaro.

'Oh….' Keitaro sighed inwardly. Looks like it's going to be another long day…

* * *

"Welcome home, Onii-tama!" Hinako ran out to greet her big brother as he came in. 

"I'm home, Hinako-chan." Keitaro smiled, ruffling her hair as he kicked off his shoes. "Where is everyone?"

"Oh, everyone's moving out from Onii-tama's room." Hinako said, suddenly looking slightly crestfallen.

"Oh, why is that?" Keitaro asked.

"They said something about wanting to give you privacy and some peace and quiet." Naru said. "Besides, girls need personal space too, you know."

"Oh…" Keitaro nodded slowly.

"But Hina-tan, Hinata-tan, Aria-neetama, and Kaho-neetama are staying with you, Onii-tama!" Hinako said cheerfully. "Your futon cabinet's too comfy to leave!"

"That's great." Keitaro smiled.

"Who's this midget?" Sarah asked aside to Keitaro.

"She's my sister…" Keitaro sighed. Talk about bad influence. 'You're not that big yourself…how can you call others midgets?' He sighed inwardly.

"I'm Urashima Hinako. It's a pleasure to meet you." Hinako bowed, smiling at Sarah.

"The pleasure's all mine. I'm Sarah McDouggal from California." Sarah too bowed politely.

"Ok, I'm off to drop Chiikage off in my room." Keitaro said, walking off.

"Sarah-chan, do you want to come and play in my room?" Naru asked Sarah. "You can come too, Hinako-chan."

"Wow, sure." Sarah nodded, wearing what seemed like an excited expression.

"Yay! Yay!" Hinako cried. "Onii-tama? Can Hina-tan please go?"

"No, I think you should stay with me." Keitaro said, slightly uncertain. Sarah was definitely one of the last people he wanted to leave any of his sisters with alone. "I think I'll need a little help with Chiikage-neesama." He made up a reason.

"Seriously, Keitaro, it'll be no trouble at all." Naru said.

"Yeah…big brother is so mean…" Sarah sniffled, her eyes watering. "He was mean to me too."

"C'mon now…" Naru gave Keitaro a look of disapproval.

"….Ok, but you have to be accompanied by one of your elder sisters." Keitaro said. "So go and find one of them now and then you can go."

"What are you so worried about?" Naru asked, as Hinako ran off to find her elder sisters.

Keitaro nodded over at Sarah. "She's not exactly as nice a little girl as she seems, I can tell you, though she's putting up a good show right now." He whispered.

"Big brother's so mean…." Sarah bawled.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Naru growled, clenching her fists. "How can that be possible? How dare you make a little girl cry? You really enjoy doing that, don't you? Here I was thinking you're really good big brother material…" She cracked her knuckles as she advanced on him.

"H…hey!" Keitaro shouted, quickly putting Chiikage down on a nearby sofa out of harms way before retreating slowly. "Calm down! What reason would I have to lie?!"

"DIE!" Naru shouted, delivering an uppercut straight into Keitaro's jaw, sending him straight through the ceiling.

"Wow…." Sarah looked up at the hole in awe.

Chiikage gently turned over and continued on sleeping.

* * *

"How is it going, desu-no?" Shirayuki asked. "Hime-chan can't see desu-no…." 

"I don't think anything's happened just yet…" Sakuya whispered, moving aside slightly to give Shirayuki space to look inside the crack in the door.

"Checky…this sure is interesting…" Mizuki said, taking notes.

"D'you think they're going to have another fight?" Rinrin asked.

"They had a really big fight at the waterfall this morning…" Karen said. "Karen-chan hopes it doesn't happen again."

CRASH…

Keitaro flew up through the floor, bounced off the ceiling, and landed with a painful splat on the floor by his sisters.

"Onii-sama!" Sakuya gasped, quieting her voice just in time. "What happened?" She whispered worriedly as the sisters gathered around Keitaro.

"Err…never mind." Keitaro sighed, brushing off a bit of dust. "Misunderstandings, as usual. Hey, what're you girls doing?"

"…I believe I owe you an apology…" A voice said from inside the room. Everyone outside turned to look, including Keitaro.

"…It was your victory today…that was clear. If you hadn't been distracted by the ground giving away, you would've won completely. Not to mention, you saved me at the expense of your own safety." The voice continued.

It was Motoko. She and Keiko were sitting opposite one another in the proud samurai's room.

"No. It was my fault for being distracted. Besides, you were completely blinded by your rage. If you had been calmer, it would've been your victory. I wouldn't have stood a chance." Keiko said, smiling.

"But please accept your victory today." Motoko said. "And…would you mind practicing with me from time to time?"

"Sure." Keiko said happily. "It would be my pleasure."

"And I'll definitely challenge you to another fight." Motoko said. "And next time, I won't lose."

"I look forwards to it." Keiko said, bowing politely.

"Haha…so Motoko's not as frosty as I thought." Keitaro smiled, his heart swelling with pride at his sister's achievement.

"Oh, Nii-sama, you haven't been healed yet, desu-no…" Shirayuki said, looking at the paper talisman stuck to Keitaro's front. "Marie-chan just went to sleep too…she got really exhausted after healing everyone desu-no."

"Yeah, and Chiikage-chan didn't want to stick another paper talisman for exhaustion relief on her. She said something about disrupting mana flows or something." Sakuya said. "Chiikage-chan really saved the day though. If it wasn't for her, Marie-chan wouldn't have been able to heal anyone."

"The talisman should be able to hold up for about a day, Onii-chan." Karen said. "Chiikage-neechan's powers aren't anything to snuff at. It should last you until Marie-neechan wakes up."

"Yeah, I shouldn't have anything to worry about." Keitaro said.

"Oh, did somebody hit you again, Onii-sama?" Sakuya asked. "I bet it was Naru-sempai again…" She sighed. "I thought I told her to lay off already. I'll have to speak to her about this…"

"Haha…it was just another misunderstanding." Keitaro laughed. "Speaking of misunderstandings, I've got to warn you girls…"

"Ah! Onee-tama!" Hinako shouted, running up to them, with Sarah bringing up the rear.

"Oh…speak of the devil…" Keitaro sighed quietly. A light bulb suddenly came on in his mind. 'Yeah, that way, she'd be so busy there'd be absolutely no room for mischief, and some of the girls' good nature might get a chance to rub off on her.' He thought. "Hey, girls, this is Sarah." Keitaro said. "She'll be staying with us for a while, so try to get along ok?"

Sarah again put on her good-girl act as she greeted them all in turn.

"Right, guys, tomorrow's Christmas eve, but we've completely neglected the decorations and preparations. Can I count on you girls to get started?" Keitaro asked.

"Sure, you can count on us!" Sakuya said, thumping her chest.

"We'll have the best Christmas party ready for you, Onii-chan!" Karen said confidently.

"Hime-chan'd better get started on the food, desu-no." Shirayuki said, clasping her hands together.

"Hina-tan will find Hinata-tan, Kaho-tan, and Aria-tan, and get started on the decorations!" Hinako shouted, running off again.

"Right, now we've got to go find the decorations. This calls for a little detective work. Checky!" Mizuki said, following Hinako.

"Guys, take Sarah with you. Keep her busy, ok?" Keitaro said, pushing Sarah along.

"He…hey!" Sarah looked around at Keitaro. "What're you planning, you idiot?!" She whispered through gritted teeth.

"Just go and have fun, ok?" Keitaro smiled, as he watched them leave. "Keiko-chan?" He looked around at Keiko who had just left Motoko's room. "…I think I have a rough idea of what happened this morning. Congratulations. Your skills sure have improved."

"It wasn't much of a victory. A lot of things happened." Keiko said, smiling her usual modest smile.

"Well, a victory is a victory." Keitaro beamed.

"Anigimi-sama….I'm sorry I broke your rule…." Keiko said, suddenly looking downcast.

"Yes…I was just getting to that." Keitaro suddenly put on a serious look. "But I'm sure you had a reason. Care to explain?"

"….She challenged me to a fight, and I thought that if I could defeat her, I could get her to stop being so mean to you." Keiko explained.

"Well, whatever you do, remember, violence isn't a solution to anything." Keitaro sighed, patting her on the shoulder. "You should never, ever resort to violence, especially not for my sake."

"….Yes, Anigimi-sama." Keiko nodded, reluctantly.

"That's a good girl. I know I can always count on you." Keitaro smiled down at her. "Oh, and can I count on you to keep an eye on the girls? Especially that blonde-haired girl over there. Her name's Sarah and I'm supposed to keep an eye on her for a bit."

"Sure, Anigimi-sama." Keiko said. "It'll be my pleasure."

"Thank you, Keiko. I've got a bit more work to do, then I'll join you girls." Keitaro said, walking down the corridor…before suddenly treading air. "Huh? WHOAAAAH!" He cried as he suddenly fell through the hole in the floor he had made during his ascent.

"Anigimi-sama!" Keiko shouted, making a running start before sliding across the floor and grasping Keitaro's hand.

"Oh man…" Keitaro grasped the edge of the hole with his free hand and looked down. "Oh, I think I can make it on my own, Keiko-chan, thanks."

"No problem, Anigimi-sama." Keiko said, letting go of Keitaro's hand as he leapt down to the floor below.

"We're going to have to fix this…Looks like that's half this month's salary gone already." He sighed, shaking his head as he looked up at the hole.

Perhaps he had been a bit too optimistic.

* * *

"Ok, let's see…school fees for 12 children…." Keitaro murmured. "…well, it's a state school, so that saves quite a bit of money. And…health insurance too…hmmm….I'll have to downgrade the insurance plans a bit, but it should be fine….we've got Marie-chan anyway." He scribbled a few notes on the notebook in front of him. "Then there's food…with a capital F…growing children sure do need a lot of food…" Keitaro sighed, picking up his calculator. "There's no compromising here. The children need good nutrition." 

"How's it going, Keitaro?" Naru asked, bringing in some tea and snacks.

"Oh, thanks, Narusegawa." Keitaro nodded. "It's a lot more complicated than I thought. Fortunately, my starting salary isn't too bad and the working hours seem to be quite flexible…I'll have plenty of time to spend with my little sisters, though it seems I'll be taking care of Sarah quite often too." Keitaro said. "The money I'm earning just about covers all my foreseeable expenses…don't have much left to save though, which means we're going to have to try and minimize damages to the Hinata Sou…" Keitaro looked up at Naru.

"Err…about that ceiling….err…sorry. It was a heat of the moment thing…" Naru laughed uneasily. "Err…by the way, since you're going to be busy working and all…what about Tokyo-U?"

"I…I don't know…" Keitaro sighed. "I never really had a chance of getting in. The only reason I kept trying was….because I had no other goal in life, I guess. I didn't have anything else worth fighting for. But now…" He looked at the large calligraphy scroll now hanging in the ornament alcove at one end of his room. "…I've got something I've got to fight for that's worth far more than my life…" He smiled a little smile. "…Now I'm fighting for them, Narusegawa, and I don't think I have room for any other commitments…"

"…that's how it is, is it?" Naru sighed. "But how do you know you don't have a chance? Besides, Tokyo-U has always been your dream. Not to mention if you graduate from there you'd have a better chance of supporting your sisters properly." Naru reasoned.

"That's….sort of true…" Keitaro said, uncertainly.

"Ok, why don't you settle it this way?" Naru sat down and put on her businesswoman front. "The cram school's having another mock test early tomorrow morning. Try it out, then decide. If you get a B or better, keep on going. If you get any worse than that, then you give up. What do you say?"

"…But…I haven't been studying properly for the past 3 days…" Keitaro sighed.

"Put on your cram cap and get started." Naru said. "Get moving. You've got…" She looked at her watch. "Exactly 16 hours until the exam. Good luck." She said, walking out.

"16 hours?" Keitaro looked at the pile of review books sitting on his desk on one side of the room. "16 hours…?" He asked again, weakly.

Just as he was about to pick up the first review book a number of thumps and crashes sounded from upstairs. "Huh?" Keitaro looked up at the ceiling. "The girls! What're they doing in Naru's room?" He leaped up onto his kotatsu and pushed open the hole in the ceiling.

"Girls? What're you...ooomph!" He gave out a muffled grunt as the an entire wardrobe of lingerie was dumped in his face. "H…hey!"

"Fell for it, didn't you? What do you think? Big, aren't they?" Sarah asked, looking down at his red face. "Sure hope you're enjoying yourself, idiot." She smiled maliciously before whistling.

"You found the decorations already, Sarah-neechan?" Karen asked, sliding open the door to Naru's room. Mizuki, Aria, Kaho, Hinako, and Hinata were right behind her. They all gasped when they laid eyes on Keitaro.

"In my room? Why would the decorations be….." Naru started as she came down the corridor, before stopping dead upon seeing Keitaro's nose stuck to a pair of her most prized panties. "Y….you…."

"…I…I told you it's not good to do that!" Sarah shouted, teary-eyed. "Now we're both in trouble…"

"How dare you drag in an innocent little girl into doing things like this…" Naru's scowl could've fried the eye-balls out of Medusa herself.

"You'd better hide before she finds out about the books!" Sarah whispered, but just about loud enough for everyone to hear.

"…B…books?" Naru ran over to her bookcase. "No….no….NO!" She gasped in panic as she pulled out book after book, flipping quickly through each and every one. "NOOOOOOOO!" She screamed hysterically before falling to her knees. One book fell to the floor and opened up to the last page upon which was scrawled, in huge, ugly letters, 'MERRY CHRISTMAS! FROM KEITARO'. "My…my review books….all ruined…." She aimed to fiery eyes at Keitaro. "So….you fancy yourself a scribble artist eh? What's your style? Grafiti? Well, you see….my style's contemporary sculpting. Mind if I use you as a model?" She smiled sweetly as she stood up, cracking her knuckles. "Death's just too good for you…."

"…Na…Narusegawa! No! It…it wasn't me! Think about it for a second!" Keitaro shouted.

Sarah grinned a big, satisfied, evil grin down at Keitaro.

Keitaro could only gulp.

To be continued…

* * *

For character profiles, sneak peaks, previews of upcoming chapters, for Sister Princess as well as my other works, feel free to visit our Fan Works Forum, the Unlimited Fan Works, accessible through the homepage link on our profile. Thank You.

Notes:

Kotatsu: A table with a heater under it that is covered with a thick blanket, usually used during winter.

Don't forget to check back soon! Chapter 9 will be up in 3 days, at latest.


	9. Chp9: Reaching For the Stars

Chapter 9: Reaching For the Stars

By Zenithos

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, Mahou Sensei Negima, or Sister Princess.

Proofread by Apocalypse Alchemist

Thanks ever so much for the really supportive reviews. They're really helping me get these new chapters done. You may not realize but your constant feedback, opinions, and suggestions are really the driving force behind this story's progress. Even I can't believe how much your reviews have helped shape the story. With each chapter, this inexperienced fanfic writer continues to learn new things, and its all thanks to you reviewers. So feel free to tell me anything you like, whether it be opinions and thoughts on the story, suggestions on where to take the story, or even things like what you want to see in later chapters (which I'll definitely take into consideration). Thank you, everyone.

Quick apology. Since we hurried the uploading of chapter 8, I didn't have the time to give it a re-read after the proofreading and somehow a small, yet significant section somehow got missed out by mistake during the proofread. I can't let it go because otherwise, Keitaro would sound like a complete and utter hypocrite in this chapter. The following is how the scene in front of Motoko's room was supposed to go:

* * *

"Just go and have fun, ok?" Keitaro smiled, as he watched them leave. "Keiko-chan?" He looked around at Keiko who had just left Motoko's room. "…I think I have a rough idea of what happened this morning. Congratulations. Your skills sure have improved." 

"It wasn't much of a victory. A lot of things happened." Keiko said, smiling her usual modest smile.

"Well, a victory is a victory." Keitaro beamed.

"Anigimi-sama….I'm sorry I broke your rule…." Keiko said, suddenly looking downcast.

"Yes…I was just getting to that." Keitaro suddenly put on a serious look. "But I'm sure you had a reason. Care to explain?"

"….She challenged me to a fight, and I thought that if I could defeat her, I could get her to stop being so mean to you." Keiko explained.

"Well, whatever you do, remember, violence isn't a solution to anything." Keitaro sighed, patting her on the shoulder. "You should never, ever resort to violence, especially not for my sake."

"….Yes, Anigimi-sama." Keiko nodded, reluctantly.

"That's a good girl. I know I can always count on you." Keitaro smiled down at her. "Oh, and can I count on you to keep an eye on the girls? Especially that blonde-haired girl over there. Her name's Sarah and I'm supposed to keep an eye on her for a bit."

* * *

When we last saw Keitaro, he was about to get yet another beating from Naru on account of a wardrobe load of lingerie and a few scribbles in her review books…. 

"DIE KEITARO!" Naru screamed.

"LISTEN TO ME FOR JUST A FRIKIN' SECOND!" Keitaro shouted. Naru stopped, but only out of pure shock. Keitaro had never exploded like that before.

"We're caught….there's no way out of this…" Sarah sniffled.

"AND YOU!" Keitaro shouted, looking around at Sarah. All the pent up anger inside him welled up all at once, like a flaming oil platform blowout. The beast that's been clawing and raging inside him smashed its way out of his ribcage. "Whatever you have against me, I don't know. And I don't care what you do to me! But nobody, and I mean nobody, will ruin my little sisters with bad examples!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Naru ran forwards and punched Keitaro in the jaw, sending him flying backwards into the corridor.

"Onii-tama!" Hinako cried.

"Onii-chama! You should defend yourself!" Hinata shouted.

"…I told you already, Narusegawa, I'm not going to tolerate anymore violence. Not in front of my little sisters!" Keitaro shouted, standing up. "This has gone on too far!"

Naru suddenly recoiled in fear, seeing the menacing look in Keitaro's eyes. The shine in them had disappeared, replaced by the deep dark well of maturity and age.

"I've got responsibilities to my little sisters. One of them is to educate them properly and I don't intend to expose them to such needless violence!" Keitaro turned around to leave. "If you can't live with these simple rules, then you're free to leave. Girls, go back to what you were doing. Also, I don't want any of you talking to that….girl." He pointed at Sarah, who stepped back in shock. "It's enough that she stays here. But I won't let her spoil what your parents have worked so hard to teach you." He shouted, before striding down the hall.

'Whoah….I thought he was the yielding, pushover kind…' Sarah thought to herself.

"….The idiot…." Naru fumed. "How dare he? First he pulls Sarah into doing something like this, then he…."

"NO!" Hinata shouted. "Would Onii-chama really sign his own name there if he really did it?!"

Naru looked around at Hinata in surprise. That never really occurred to her. And to think that she prided herself as being the National first….and it took a 4 year-old to realize that?

'Whoops…' Sarah kicked herself mentally. How could she have been that careless?

"And Onii-chama was with Chiikage-neechama until a few minutes ago!" Hinata added. "Then he went straight to his room!"

"O…Oniitama w…would never do mean things like that!" Hinako said, without a single drop of doubt in her cute determined voice.

"Nii-ya isn't mean…." Aria sniffled, tears brimming in her eyes. "Nii-ya is the nicest person in the whole world…."

Kaho shook her head quickly and gave Naru a determined scowl.

"…There's got to be a thief or somebody really mean hiding somewhere in this room…" Hinata said, looking around. Hinako immediately hid behind her twin sister upon hearing the word 'thief'.

'Wow….these sisters of his really do trust this idiot a lot…' Sarah thought. 'I've got to get on their good side somehow…'

"Hmmm….it's obvious Ani-chama couldn't have committed the act." Mizuki said (in English, off course), taking out her magnifying glass and putting on her Sherlock Homes look. "We've got eyewitnesses saying he was with Chiikage-neechama until the past few minutes, after which he went straight to his room. There wouldn't have been any time for him to come up here and do all this."

'No….a detective?!' Sarah groaned inwardly.

"Come to think of it….I was with him downstairs just a moment ago…" Naru said, shocked that she herself was confirming Keitaro's alibi.

"See? Even the prosecutor's an eyewitness to the defendant's credit." Mizuki nodded. "And nobody would be stupid enough to actually credit their wrong-doing to themselves like that if they didn't want to be found out. And the culprit must also be the person who dumped Naru-neechama's entire lingerie collection on Ani-chama's head. Now…as for the culprit, it's obvious. It's whoever's doing the acting." She looked Sarah in the eye who recoiled. "Elementary, ne?"

"Sarah…." Naru looked around at Sarah. Everything was suddenly falling into place. She was amazed at how much a few minutes of clear thinking could reveal so much. "…was…all this…your doing?"

"NO!" Sarah shouted.

"There's no way out." Mizuki said, walking up to Sarah. "It would make it easier for you if you just gave yourself up now. We have evidence. The modus operandi is obvious…but the motive?" Mizuki looked Sarah in the eye. "You're a single child, aren't you?"

"….wha…what?!" Sarah stammered.

"Ah, yes, you are. You can't hide it from me. I live with 12 sisters and a brother. I'd know a single child when I see one." Mizuki nodded. "And lemme guess, you want your father all to yourself, is that it? That's why you're afraid my brother would come in between you and your father, am I right?"

"B…but….y…you don't understand anything!" Sarah screamed. She pushed roughly past Mizuki, skid into the corridor, and ran away.

"The culprit has escaped! Beginning pursuit!" Mizuki shouted, leaping onto her feet and running out of the room.

"Hai!" Hinata shouted, as she and Hinako followed after her.

Aria followed them to the door, watched them disappear around a bend, before walking back to Naru. "Please forgive Nii-yaa…Nii-yaa's only like that when Nii-yaa's thinking of others." She said in her quiet little voice.

"Others?" Naru frowned down at the blind little girl. She was still fuming over what Keitaro had said to her earlier, but now that she was confronted by her big, cute, watery, unseeing eyes, she felt compelled to somehow consider seeing things her way.

Come to think of it, Keitaro never ever exploded like that, no matter how badly they treated him.

But now that he had his little sisters to take care of….

Naru gasped. Keitaro wasn't angry over how he was treated. He was angry because…she was being a bad example and was being a potential harm to his little sisters' development.

"Nii-yaa….is too nice." Aria said. "Nii-yaa cares for others so much. It must have been so painful for Nii-yaa to have to say all that." A tear ran down her cheek as she turned to leave. "Please do forgive Nii-yaa…." She said, before leaving.

"I….I should be the one asking for forgiveness…" Naru whispered.

* * *

In the kitchen…. 

"And now it's time for Hime-chan's cooking hour desu-no!" Shirayuki said excitedly, donning her chef's hat and putting on her cute frilly white apron. "Today, we'll be walking you through cooking the perfect feast to congratulate your beloved big brother on finding a job."

Karen came up to Shirayuki, whispered something in her ear, before hurrying away.

"…while simultaneously wishing him good luck for his all-important test desu-no." Shirayuki added. "Well, first of all…." She looked down at her little notebook. "….we get two eggs, some onions, garlic, tomatoes, and, off course, a few snails and some frogs desu-no."

"Err….Shirayuki-chan, are you sure you're looking at the right recipe?" Shinobu asked, poking one of the snail shells and recoiling as a long oozing tentacle came out. "Wh….what is that?!!"

"Snails from my home country…" Suu said happily, hanging down from the ceiling lamp.

Both Shirayuki and Shinobu sweat-dropped big time.

"The….the frog j…just changed colour…." Shinobu pointed out.

"Oh, they come from the swamps of my homeland. There was this huge nuclear fallout a few years back, then these little guys started popping up." Suu said happily, drooling.

Both Shirayuki and Shinobu face-faulted (anime style).

The snails and frogs were thrown out the window and Shirayuki and Shinobu went back to the drawing board.

"Maybe something vegetarian this time, desu-no…" Shirayuki sighed.

* * *

"That idiot….jeez….why's everyone fussing over him like that?" Sarah groaned, sitting down on the steps underneath the shikan (clothes drying area) walkway, hugging her knees. Way above her, a few linen sheets flapped heavily in the cold winter wind against the pale blue sky. More snow was on its way. It was going to be a really white Christmas. 

A really sad Christmas too….

She sighed and warmed her hands as she looked out at the city laid out beneath the Hinata Sou, all covered in pure crystalline white. "It's Christmas Eve tomorrow too….and papa left me with that dope…" She scowled. "It's all his fault….that idiot…I hate him! I hate him!"

"Hey, save all that hate for the snowball fights, will ya?" a voice said from above.

Sarah swiveled around in surprise. Had they found her already?

"Oh….it's only you…" Sarah sighed, looking back at the city.

"What do you mean, it's only me?" Sakuya asked, coming down the stairs and sitting down beside Sarah. "So, what's eating you? Wanna talk about it?"

"It's none of your business." Sarah said curtly.

"Lemme guess….it's Christmas Eve tomorrow, and you're feeling chewed out cause your dad left you with his assistant, am I right?" Sakuya asked, a mischievous smile on her face.

A spear (proverbial, off course.) went straight through Sarah's heart.

"And you're afraid that with his new assistant around, your father would get busier and would start neglecting you more often, right?"

This time, a proverbial light saber (if such things are possible) pierced through Sarah's heart and burned everything else around it.

"From the looks on your face, I'd say I'm right." Sakuya grinned.

"Wh…what do you know?!" Sarah shouted hotly.

"Well, I do know this." Sakuya said. "An assistant's job, if anything, is to lessen the employer's workload. My brother's task is to relieve your father of some of his work and allow him to have more time for you."

"But….but…" Sarah looked away from her. No matter how much she thought this over, it made complete sense. It also made her extremely angry, at Sakuya and at herself as well.

"Your father may not have much time for anything, being the busy man he is, but he'll always have time for you, Sarah." Sakuya said, looking up at the sky. "Nothing will ever make him too busy for you. I know…" She closed her eyes. "Because my brother is like that. No matter how busy he is with studies, or work, he'd always have time for us. Well, perhaps never enough time, since we're very demanding sisters." She chuckled. "But whenever he's not busy, he dedicates all his time for us. Your father's just like that." Sakuya smiled down at Sarah.

"Besides, how do you think we feel about you?" Rinrin popped up and sat down beside Sarah. "If we were to take your view on things, we'd start hating you as well. You're taking up our brother's time and attention and you're not even thankful for it." Rinrin sighed. "Not to mention you cause him trouble too." Rinrin looked around at Sarah.

"I….I….but…" Sarah stammered.

"Haha, no worries. I said that's if we take your view on things." Rinrin laughed. "Aniki is such a kindhearted person. We'd be extremely selfish if we were to bereft the world of his kindness and keep it all to ourselves." She smiled. "But a little appreciation wouldn't hurt. There are 12 little girls here who'd do anything to be in your shoes, you know that?"

"W…wait! You already heard about….what I did?" Sarah asked, cautiously.

Both Rinrin and Sakuya grinned. "We're sisters, after all." Rinrin smiled. "And sisters love to gossip."

"I….I…." Sarah grew quiet.

"That was really mean of you, Sarah-neechama…." Hinata said, coming down the steps. "But….Hinata-chan thinks she can understand….Hinata-chan would also not like it if anything kept Onii-chama away from Hinata-chan."

"But…it's still wrong. Onii-tama hasn't done anything wrong to anyone." Hinako said, coming down beside her.

"Since it's all cleared up and nobody was seriously hurt, Mizuki-chan thinks we should just forgive Sarah-chan." Mizuki said, coming down beside Hinako, "Besides, Mizuki-chan had a chance to show her analysis skills, checky!" She smiled, looking into Sarah's eyes with her magnifying glass.

"Aria-chan agrees." Aria said, nodding, coming up the rear.

"Th…that's it?!" Sarah shouted in disbelief. "You're going to forgive me?! If someone had done something like that to me, I'd…." she stopped short and blushed.

The sisters all smiled understandingly.

"Oh, there you are, Sarah." Keiko said, popping up at the foot of the stairs. "I and Karen just found the decorations. We need your opinion, since you're from the US and everything." She smiled. She looked up at Keitaro who was coming down the stairs behind Sarah and gave him a quick wink.

"There's your punishment. Go and help out." Keitaro said, sighing and crossing his arms and looking away from Sarah. "And have fun while you're at it. Otherwise, I won't count it even."

"I…idiot! Where'd you come from?! And who wants to get even?!" Sarah hissed, "Besides, you told your sisters they're not allowed to talk to me!"

"I remember saying 'that girl'. I didn't mention any names." Keitaro said, his back still to Sarah. "So they're not to talk to that spoiled, selfish little brat that was being completely inconsiderate to everyone around her. But they can talk to cute, nice, understanding little Sarah McDouggal." Keitaro gave her a sidewards glance.

"Cute and understanding?! Huh! You wish!" Sarah shouted, but she couldn't help but smile a small smile up at Keitaro's back.

"Come along, you all should help too." Keiko said to her little sisters, who all replied in the affirmative and followed.

"Ummmm….." Naru shifted about uneasily as she came down the stairs behind Keitaro. "Well….uhh….I guess….I should apologize…" She said in a quiet voice. Keitaro looked around at her and gave her an appraising look. "Sorry, Keitaro, I really should give you the benefit of a doubt at times."

"Don't worry about it." Keitaro said, turning around to watch his sisters descend the stairs. "I don't need apologies. I only need you all to start following the rules."

"Yes, I'll try." Naru said.

"That's good to hear." Keitaro turned around and smiled a warm smile at Naru before walking down the stairs.

"You've got really nice sisters, you know that?" Naru said. "It seems like….nobody in the world understands you better than they do."

"Off course I know." Keitaro said. "They're my sisters."

* * *

"And now we're back to Hime-chan's cooking hour, with your hosts, Hime-chan and Shinobu-neesama desu-no." Shirayuki said. "After going through the entire recipe book, we finally decided on oden, along with a few other side dishes desu-no." 

"…and the fish is sponsored by me, Suu-chan!" Suu shouted, holding out two heavily deformed blobs which could only pass as fish during brief periods of extremely lax maritime quality control.

"…Kaolla-san…are those fish?" Shinobu asked.

"Yeah, check it out." She poked one. It suddenly let out tons of ooze out of what is, presumably, its mouth. "See, it's a fish!"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEKK!" Shinobu shrieked.

"….Hime-chan think we can do without that, Suu-neesama." Shirayuki said, uneasily. "errr…on with the show."

"Mizuki-chan's got the oden ingredients." Mizuki announced, coming into the kitchen.

"That would make a lot of oden…." Suu smiled, drooling, looking at Hinako who was clinging onto Mizuki's back.

"Aaang…" Hinako looked up at Suu fearfully.

"Does she look like food to you?" Mizuki asked uneasily.

"Noooo! Suu-neesama!" Shirayuki cried. "My little sister isn't food!"

"But I'm hungry…" Suu moaned.

"Err….and on with the oden desu-no. Ummm…." Shirayuki said.

"Tama-chan! Tama-chan!" Hinako giggled, waving at the cute little turtle.

"Myuuu!" Tama-chan greeted her.

"He really looks like he's enjoying himself, isn't he?" Mizuki smiled down at Tama-chan, who was bobbing about in a small pool of water.

"Off course he is. That's first class oden he's getting cooked in." Suu said happily.

"Myuuu!" Tama-chan looked down in shock at the flames under his little pool.

"NOOOO!" Shirayuki shouted. "You can't cook Tama-chan!"

A scratching sound drew her attention to the oven.

"Mew…mew…." Vanilla mewed contentedly as it scratched its nails on the oven's grating.

"UNYAAAAAAA!" Shirayuki cried, running over to the oven and slamming it open, letting out a wave of sweltering hot air into the kitchen. "Vanilla-chan! Suu-neesama!" She looked around at Suu, holding the kitten close. "NOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Yeah?" Suu asked, looking around, while trying to stuff Wataru the toucan into a frying pan.

"CHECKY! CHECKY! SQUAWK!" The toucan shrieked.

"NOOOOOOOO! WATARU!" Mizuki screamed, coming to Wataru's rescue.

"No! Down! Bad Suu!" Shinobu shouted.

"And….the main course…." Suu smiled happily as she sprinkled some salt and pepper on, of all things, Hinako's head.

"WAAAAAAAH!" Hinako cried, running away. Suu immediately leapt after her.

"NOOO! HINAKO-CHAN!" Mizuki, Shirayuki, and Shinobu cried as they ran after them.

"ITADAKIMASU!" Suu shouted as she leapt up into the air, her mouth wide open.

"AMYAAAAAAA!" Hinako cried.

CRUNCH….MUNCH….MUNCH…MUNCH…

"….Suu….that's my head…" Sarah said in an impatient tone. Hinako had taken cover behind her and was cowering in fear, peeking out at Suu.

"Yum….yum…slobber…drool…" Suu continued on munching.

"AAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH!" Sarah screamed, flinging her head about, causing Suu to flail about like a fish out of water.

"Should we do anything?" Rinrin asked.

"Yeah, get a video camera." Sakuya said, nodding in a final manner.

"You still haven't forgiven her, have you?" Rinrin sighed.

* * *

3 hours of cramming later… 

"GASP…" Keitaro gasped expansively as he dragged himself into the corridor. "God…3 hours of studying and I'm out already?"

"Oh, y…you're back already, Keitaro-sama." Ako said, looking down at him.

"…U…Urashima-sama…" Makie stammered, blushing again.

"Oh…" Keitaro quickly got onto his feet. "How was your first day at work?" He asked the two.

"It was great." Ako said, smiling brightly. "And the salary's great too." Ako looked around at Makie who had gone completely silent. She lightly patted her on the back.

"Ah…um…it was great….yes, we made lots of bread…" Makie said awkwardly. "There was…lots of kiss…I MEAN…LOTS OF CHEESE!"

"That's great. It's good that you're enjoying your jobs." Keitaro smiled.

"We heard you got yourself a job too, Keitaro-sama." Ako said, trying her best to cover up Makie's awkwardness.

"Yes…and, um…can you two please start calling me Keitaro? It's extremely awkward now that you're not working for me anymore." Keitaro said.

"Oh, ok." Ako said. "Keitaro-sempai."

"…K…Keitaro-sempai…" Makie turned so red that Ako was getting worried that she might suddenly get a nosebleed all of a sudden.

"Err…yeah, anyway, I think dinner's ready, so…shall we?" Ako managed. Her face was a bright red as well, despite her apparent efforts to keep her composure.

Thankfully, Keitaro was completely clueless. Ah, blissful ignorance. "Ok, let's." Keitaro nodded, glad for something other than calculus.

* * *

"CONGRATULATIONS! KEITARO! MAKIE! AKO!" Everyone shouted, raising their glasses. 

"Thanks, everyone." Keitaro, Makie, and Ako said, bowing.

"So, Makie's now working in a bakery and Ako's working in a clinic, right?" Mitsune asked. "And what about you, Keitaro? Babysitting?" She asked, gesturing at Sarah.

"It's not babysitting!" Both Sarah and Keitaro shouted.

"Looks like babysitting to me." Mitsune shrugged. "Though things like that are right up your alley, isn't it?" Mitsune grinned cheekily. The sisters all looked around at Mitsune.

"It's more like we baby-sit him." Sakuya said. Everyone at the table laughed.

"Hey, speaking of babysitting, who do you think acts most like a baby when she's drunk?" Keitaro asked. "And who has to do the babysitting then?"

"What's life without a few drinks?" Mitsune asked. "And be honest, Keitaro, you enjoy babysitting me when I'm drunk, right?"

Everyone laughed again. Well, almost everyone. Suu was too busy stuffing her face to notice anything else around her.

"K…Kaolla-san!" Makie cried. "That's mine…"

"Spoils of war!" Suu said in between mouthfuls.

"Don't worry, Suu, there's more over here." Shinobu said, gesturing at the large pot of oden in the middle of the table. "You don't have to take stuff from others."

"But Makie-Makie already works in a bakery. She gets to eat all that bread…." Suu said in a sulky tone.

"It's a job, Kaolla-san…" Makie sighed. "I can't eat anything without paying for it…."

"…And cheese…and chocolate….and bananas….and turtles….and crickets…" Suu continued to drool.

"Anou….Suu….where does turtles and crickets come in?" Shinobu asked, uneasily.

"So does this mean I can get discounts when I visit the bakery or the clinic?" Mitsune asked Ako and Makie. "I mean, I can use some free painkillers for all those hangovers."

"Don't start mooching off them already, Mitsune-san. You might cause them to lose their jobs…" Keitaro said, referring to the job she lost him earlier that day.

"Hah, don't be such a spoil sport, especially when you got a job I can't mooch off." Mitsune said. "I mean, babysitting? It'll be a long time before I need people like you…."

"WE SAID IT'S NOT BABYSITTING!" Keitaro and Sarah shouted. Everyone laughed again.

"Hey, speaking of babysitters, when can we expect baby Mitsunes running around?" Naru asked playfully.

"H….Hey!" Mitsune protested. "That's deep. That's really deep." She looked around at Keitaro and grinned. "Well….if you put it that way…..perhaps not long." She gave Keitaro a suggestive wink. Keitaro couldn't help but blush.

"M…Mitsune-san!" Sakuya gasped.

"It…it's not a topic of jest…." Keiko said, blushing brightly.

"Yeah! Aniki's mine!" Rinrin shouted.

"What do you mean yours? Ani-chama's mine!" Mizuki protested.

"The cards speak…." Chiikage said, pulling out a card from her pack of tarot cards. "There is a thread of destiny binding me and Ani-kun…."

"NO WAY!" Rinrin and Mizuki shouted. It suddenly started raining tarot cards.

"No matter what you people say, he's mine…" Sakuya sighed, shaking her head in exasperation.

"Nii-sama's Hime-chan's prince!" Shirayuki announced.

"Aniue-sama…." Marie gave Keitaro a concerned look.

"But…but…." Karen looked around in panic. "Onii-chan's the one who decides, right?"

"Nii-yaaa…." Aria pulled on Keitaro's sleeve.

Kaho pulled on the other sleeve and gave Keitaro a beseeching look.

"Whatever anyone says, Onii-chama will always be ours!" Hinata shouted. Hinako nodded in agreement.

"Is this what they call sibling rivalry?" Mitsune whispered to Naru.

"Scary…" Naru whispered back. "But it's cute though."

"You two're not going to hammer him for incest?" Mitsune asked, grinning.

"Nope. He's just being a good big brother, that's all." Naru said. "I can't hammer him for that."

"I'm honour bound to not give undue punishment." Motoko said, sipping her tea. "I've given my word to Keiko."

"Argh…you two are no fun anymore…" Mitsune laughed.

"Ah….I wish I had a big brother…" Shinobu said, wistfully.

"Yum….Gulp….Slurp….Gobble…." Suu continued on demolishing what's left of the table.

They all couldn't help but smile as they watched the sisters crowding around Keitaro, vying for attention. Keitaro laughed, picked up Aria and Marie, and ran off to lighthearted protests from his other sisters.

"He's...different now, isn't he?" Mitsune asked, looking out the window. Keitaro and the sisters had begun throwing snowballs at each other in the courtyard.

"But that's what Keitaro-sempai really is like." Shinobu smiled. "He's always been such a nice person..."

"It took us such little angels to notice these little things..." Naru too smiled as she joined the others at the window.

"Hmm..." Motoko nodded.

"I don't know whether or not I should join them..." Sarah said, slightly wistfully.

"So Kawai..." Ako giggled.

"Keitaro-sempai..." Makie sighed and blushed.

"I'm finishing everything!": Suu shouted.

"SUU! NO!" Everyone else shouted.

* * *

2 more hours of cramming later… 

"Brrr…" Keitaro shivered as he walked out onto his balcony for some fresh air. The sea of lights that was Kanagawa city sparkled under the pale winter moonlight. The snow had stopped.

From down below came the cheerful laughter of the children as they decorated the great fir trees in the front courtyard. On one side of the courtyard stood a completed Christmas tree, a majestic shimmering tower, even though its lights haven't been turned on. Apparently either Rinrin or Suu (or from the looks of it, both) had somehow made an army of Santa sleds orbit the gigantic Christmas tree.

Everyone else was clustered around another, unfinished Christmas tree on the other side of the courtyard.

"Keiko-neuesama, you can't put up Tanabata wish talismans on the Christmas tree…" Marie said, watching Keiko strung up pieces of paper on the Christmas tree.

"Why not? It's a tree and it's a beautiful night. Why can't we make wishes?" Keiko smiled. "The wishes are all for Anigimi-sama's good luck anyway. What harm could it do?"

"…I think I'll put up a few too then." Marie said, smiling at her big sister's strange idea.

Rinrin along with Shirayuki were off on one side of the courtyard, setting up something with their backs to Keitaro.

Ako, Mitsune, and Motoko were handing up brightly coloured baubles and lanterns up to Shinobu, Makie, Mizuki and Sarah who were sitting atop scaffolds by the fir tree. It seems Suu had tried to mount an entire xenon lamp and possibly an entire laser show with real death rays as well. Hinako, Aria, and Kaho were running around one of the smaller fir trees on one side, wrapping it with a set of sparkling paper chains and streamers.

"Whoah! Suu! Watch out!" Mitsune shouted, as Suu narrowly missed kicking her head off as she swung around on a streamer while wrapping it around the tree. The tree shook violently with the force of her twirls, shedding baubles, lanterns, candy canes, grenades (?), and other odds and ends in random directions all over the courtyard.

"Look out! Incoming!" Hinata shouted, pulling Hinako out of the way as the glittery Christmas artillery fire landed all around them.

One bauble bounced off Aria's head, causing her eyes to water. "Kusu…" She sniffled.

"Ahh, Aria-chan!" Keiko cried.

"Hey, Suu!" Everyone shouted.

"Nyahahahahaha! The only way you can stop me is by catching me!" She shouted, looking backwards as she made another twirl around the tree

"SUU!" Rinrin shouted.

"Nyaaa? Nobody can stop me!" Suu laughed.

"He could!" Rinrin shouted, pointing at something in front of Suu.

Suu turned forwards.

SMUSH…

She crashed headlong into a snowman.

"Hurry! Snowball her!" Sakuya shouted. Nobody needed telling twice. They took aim, and fired.

"Snowman her!" Sarah shouted, before everyone charged forwards and rolled the pile of snow that was Suu into a gigantic snowball with her head poking out on top.

"Victory!" Mitsune shouted. Everyone cheered, even Suu.

It was things like this that was worth fighting for. Keitaro smiled a content smile as he turned around to go back inside.

Everything went quiet outside for a few moments before a knock sounded on his door.

"Onii-chan." Karen greeted him with a cute smile.

"Oh, hi Karen-chan. Why aren't you downstairs with the others?" Keitaro asked, gesturing her to take a seat in the kotatsu.

"Karen-chan thought you'd need some coffee." Karen said, setting down a tray with a pot of coffee, Keitaro's favourite mug, and a plate of homemade cookies.

"Thanks, Karen-chan." Keitaro patted her on the head. "Gosh, you girls have been busy today, haven't you?"

"But it would've been more fun with you there, Onii-chan." Karen said. A whistle sounded outside. "Oh, can you please come with Karen-chan, Onii-chan?" Karen asked, pulling Keitaro's hand and leading him towards the balcony.

The courtyard had suddenly come ablaze with light. One of the two fir trees that had been converted into Christmas trees was sparkling magnificently, boasting the image of an ideal Christmas tree.

The other Christmas tree, though half finished (and half-decimated by Suu), was also gleaming brightly in the dark.

"Wow…" Keitaro gasped.

"Ok everyone?!" Rinrin shouted down below. "One…Two…THREE!" She shouted.

"GOOD LUCK!" Everyone down on the courtyard shouted, before cheering as a set of lights strung up between the two Christmas trees came alive to form a set of letters.

Keitaro looked up and noticed that Naru too had come out onto her balcony with Sakuya beside her. "You cheeky little angels actually came up with something like this?" Keitaro asked, picking up Karen as more lights lit up the trees surrounding the front courtyard.

"Haha, do you like it?" Karen giggled, hugging Keitaro around the neck.

"Well…for one thing, the words spell COOL DUKG….though I get the message." Keitaro smiled.

"Ah!" Karen gasped, realizing the letters were all arranged incorrectly. "Everyone! The letters are wrong!" She shouted.

"What?" Rinrin looked up at the words and gasped.

"Oh no…" Makie groaned. "Kaolla-san! I thought you said it was perfect!"

"Nyaaa?" Suu cocked her head to one side as she looked up at the letters.

"Forget it, she can't spell." Sarah sighed.

"Anigimi-sama! We need help with the star!" Keiko shouted up at Keitaro.

"Haha, sure." Keitaro laughed. "Narusegawa, you should come down as well!" He shouted up at Naru.

"Idiot…how're you supposed to get a B at this rate?" Naru sighed, smiling as she leapt down the hole into Keitaro's room. "Let's go. I can't study while exciting things like this are happening anyway." She winked.

A few moments later…

"Ok, nii-sama, are you ready?" Shirayuki called out.

"We haven't done this in a long time…are you sure it's all right?" Keitaro asked. "Now that I think about it, I realize why our parents always disapproved of this."

"Don't worry. I think everyone's as ready as ever." Rinrin said, digging her feet into the snow behind Keitaro. She crouched and cupped her hands between her legs.

"It won't be too difficult, Ani-kun." Chiikage said, grasping his hand beside him.

"Yeah, the old one-two." Sakuya said, grasping his other hand.

"But…we've never done this with Hinako, Hinata, Kaho, and Aria." Keitaro said, giving the youngest sisters a worried look.

"I'm sure they'll manage." Keiko said, standing in front of Keitaro with her back to him. In front of them towered the completed Christmas tree.

"What on earth are you people doing?" Naru asked.

"Please be careful…" Marie said, wearing an expression of concern.

"This better not be something dangerous, Urashima." Motoko warned.

"Yeah, but it better be entertaining." Mitsune laughed.

"Be careful everyone!" Makie shouted.

"Please try not to hurt yourselves…" Ako said, worriedly.

"B…but…we're missing one person. We're going to need one more person to keep it all balanced. Kanako isn't here." Keitaro pointed out.

"Oh…yeah. We need one more person." Keiko said. "Oh, Sarah!"

"Yeah, Sarah will do!" Rinrin shouted.

"Huh? Me? What?" Sarah asked.

"You're joining level 2. Just follow Mizuki and Shirayuki's lead. Get ready!" Sakuya shouted.

"Huh?" Sarah looked around in confusion.

"Ok, one…two…three…GO!" Rinrin shouted.

Mizuki ran forwards towards Rinrin and stepped on her cupped hands. Rinrin heaved upwards and threw her sister up onto Keitaro's shoulders from where she adjusted her position so that she was standing on Keitaro and Chiikage's shoulders.

Shirayuki went up next in a similar manner and took up a position on Keitaro and Sakuya's shoulders.

"Oh, I get it now…" Sarah nodded. "Wait…I'm supposed to jump?"

"C'mon, what happened to all that spunk?" Sakuya taunted.

"…You ain't seen nothing yet…" Sarah shouted, digging her feet into the snow before dashing forwards with all her might.

"Whoah! Slow down!" Rinrin shouted. Sarah treaded her palms and was thrown up into the air.

"Aaaaaah!" Sarah screamed as she sailed through the cold air.

"She got overshot!" Keitaro shouted. "Keiko, catch her!"

Keiko quickly shifted her feet and raised her hands, catching Sarah neatly on her shoulders.

"Phew…that was close…" Keitaro breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Hey, nobody told me what I was supposed to do!" Sarah protested.

Karen followed and landed, wobbling slightly, on Keitaro's shoulders in between Shirayuki and Mizuki, who grabbed onto her. She reached out and grabbed onto Sarah, forming a stable platform for the next level. .

"Uuu…" Aria shuddered quietly.

"Come on!" Everyone cheered her on. Aria took a few uncertain steps backwards.

"You can do it, Aria-chan!" Keitaro shouted. Aria lifted her face upon hearing her brother's voice and shook herself before running forwards.

Suu watched Aria closely as she stepped onto Rinrin's cupped hands.

Aria screamed 'Nii-yaaaaaaa!" As she sailed up into the air and landed on Karen's shoulders. She wobbled precariously as Shirayuki and Mizuki grabbed onto her and pulled her into a balanced position. Kaho's leap was a rather quiet, if not heart-pounding one. She took up a position opposite Aria and held out her arms for Aria to hold to form a cradle for Hinata.

Hinata gulped as she walked backwards to ready herself for her running jump. She looked up at the tower of people. She gulped again before taking a few more steps backwards.

"B…be careful, Hinata-tan…" Hinako stammered nervously.

Hinata ran forwards, slipped and slid on the snow a bit, before stepping on Rinrin's hands. She sailed up landed lightly in the cradle formed by Aria and Kaho's arms. She looked down and gestured Hinako to come up.

"Whoah….the most difficult jump's left to the youngest one…." Mitsune said. "Bets, anyone?"

"I think you shouldn't do this…it's too dangerous." Naru said, worriedly.

"Aaaaang…" Hinako shuddered in fear as she looked up at the tower of people. Her jump would be, by far, the highest.

"C'mon, Hinako-chan!" Rinrin shouted.

"She's going to need help…" Motoko said, stepping forwards. "C'mon." She walked over to Hinako. "Don't worry, we'll catch you if you fall."

"We…we will?" Mitsune asked.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. We'll be here for you." Naru said. "And you, idiot!" She pointed at Keitaro. "You'd better praise her for this when she's done."

"Yes, we'll help too." Shinobu said, nodding. Makie and Ako came up behind her and nodded as well.

Hinako looked around at the tower of people waiting for her. She shook herself. She didn't want to be left out. She grasped the star entrusted to her, took a deep breath, before running as fast as her little feet could take her towards Rinrin.

Rinrin threw her upwards vertically. Hinako landed a second time with both feet on both Rinrin's palms. Rinrin pushed upwards with all her strength as Hinako leapt out of her hands.

She sailed up in a slow arc before coming down on Hinata's shoulders where she wobbled precariously, fighting against gravity. "Amyaa!" She cried.

"Hang on, Hinako-chan!" Hinata shouted, as she leaned forwards slightly towards the tree's peak. "Go!"

Hinako opened her eyes and saw the peak. The wind whistled in her ear and whipped at her hair as she looked all around her. She gasped. Below the city was a glimmering sea of orange yellow pinpricks. Above them the full moon shown down, its rays shimmering as it caught on the slowly drifting snow flakes. She looked down at the star nestled in her arms then down at her sisters and her brother, all of whom were cheering encouragingly at her.

She looked back at the peak. She nodded with determination, lifted the star, and planted it neatly on top of the tree.

Everyone cheered.

Rinrin leapt around in celebration, tripped, and knocked over Sakuya, who fell over on Keitaro, bringing down the whole tower vertically down with them, leaving a pile of sisters on top of Keitaro.

"Ouch…" Keitaro groaned quietly, trying to sort out the tangle of arms and legs.

"I can't feel my arm…" Rinrin moaned.

"That's my arm, Onee-chan…" Karen supplied.

"Please quit grasping my leg, will you, Mizuki-chan?" Chiikage asked.

"Oh…Mizuki-chan thought Mizuki-chan found a mole Mizuki-chan's never seen before…" Mizuki said, subjecting Rinrin's leg to close scrutiny.

"Ok, fess up, Mizuki, that's my underwear you're wearing, isn't it?" Sakuya asked.

"Mizuki-chan's just borrowing it…." Mizuki said.

"Can we do that again? Hime-chan wants to see the view again!" Shirayuki cried.

"Would you mind saving the sibling chatter until you've all gotten off my back?" Keitaro asked.

"Nope. It's so comfy here." Sakuya said, leaning back on Keitaro's back. "And keep your foot out of my face, Mizuki."

"Kusu…" Aria was crying again.

"We've got injured people here, where's the medical back-up?" Keitaro asked, looking up at Marie.

"My turn…" Marie sighed as Ako pushed her forwards, before everyone started laughing.

The star twinkled brightly up on the peak, a bright beacon against the pitch black sky.

Inscribed on its golden surface were the words 'Together Forever'.

* * *

End of chapter 8….oh, wait, it's not quite finished just yet… 

….Later on that night….

"Hello? yes, Papa?"

"Hello there, Sarah. I just came back from the meeting. How are you?"

"I…I'm fine, Papa."

"That's nice to hear. Are you having fun over there?"

"….ummm…yeah…"

"Oh yeah, can you please tell that assistant of mine that I wanted to say thanks. He really saved me today."

"Huh?"

"He somehow got all those artifacts I was supposed to deliver here all fixed up perfectly. If he hadn't done such a spotless job, the director would've kept me here for the whole week just to get them all repaired. Thanks to him, I can come back in time to celebrate Christmas with you."

"….that idiot…"

"What was that, Sarah?"

"Oh…nothing, Papa. It's nothing. By the way, could you please come pick me up here at the Hinata Sou? I've got lots of really nice people I'd like you to meet."

"Sure thing, Sarah. It's good to know you've made some new friends. Well, I've got to go. Take care of yourself, and be a good girl, ok?"

"Always, papa. I love you."

"I love you too, Sarah, always. I'll see you tomorrow." Click.

"….That idiot….now look what you've made me do…sniffle….to think I was responsible for half those destroyed artifacts…." Silence. "They're kind of lucky...big brothers aren't half-bad…."

* * *

To be continued… 

Finally! End of day 4! Next chapter, day 5, Christmas Eve, the day of the test, and, off course, more of the 12 sisters!

For character profiles, sneak peaks, previews of upcoming chapters, for Sister Princess as well as my other works, feel free to visit our Fan Works Forum, the Unlimited Fan Works, accessible through the homepage link on our profile. Thank You.

Tanabata: A Japanese traditional celebration in which the Japanese string up paper talismans containing their wishes on bamboo trees. The celebration itself is to celebrate the annual meeting of the prince and the weaver girl.

The shikan is the entire clothes drying area. There are steps under the walkway connecting the Shikan and the Hinata Sou, which is supposedly Sarah's favourite place when it was first planned by Akamatsu-sensei. I'll be using this area quite frequently, so it might be worth looking up the Hinata-Sou design notes at the end of volume 2 of the manga. I'll put it up on the website too later on.


	10. Chp10: Season to be Jolly

Chp 10: Season to be Jolly

By Zenithos

Finally! An update! (Zeni cries out of joy)

Thank you everyone for not losing hope just yet! Your really supportive reviews are part of what kept me going despite the chronic writer's block. For that, I thank you all sincerely. I still have a lot to learn and thus your reviews are extremely valuable in that respect. Again, thank you.

Disclaimer: Zeni doesn't own Love Hina or anything else here that doesn't belong to Zeni.

* * *

A few snowflakes danced through their slow, swirling descent towards the lively streets below. The entire city was feverish with music, people, and a contagious air of festivity. Everywhere one looked, one would see the spirit of Christmas Eve at its best, from the many brightly decorated Christmas trees lining the streets, the dazzlingly decorated stores, the many dressed up santas miling around, the hummer full of people totting machine guns chasing a little girl on jet-powered roller skates through the busy streets, the holly, the Christmas puddings on display, and the smiles on everyone's…..wait…come to think of it, nobody's smiling. In fact, everyone's attention was taken up by something….what could it be?

"You're gonna have to be faster than that to get me!" Rinrin gritted her teeth as she pulled yet another hard banking maneuver around the jam packed traffic. She ducked even lower as more lead tracers arced over her head. "Why today of all days?" She muttered as she swerved around into an alleyway, narrowly avoiding yet another shower of bullets which ricocheted off the street in a shower of sparks instead.

"I did not order you to kill her!" April shouted as another jolt caused her to bump her head on the hummer's roof. "Ouch….I said…"

"What song is this anyway?" May asked, utter irritation etched into her face. "Hurry up and switch to metal or something."

"But I like Beethoven's ninth…" August said with a smile, swinging her legs to and thro to the rhythm of the music.

"She went that way!" January shouted. "June! Take that left turn! Into that alleyway!" She pointed frantically out of the window, leaning over June who happened to be the one behind the wheel. Off course, this had the negative effect of causing the haphazard driver to take an even more dangerous, blind approach to Sunday driving.

"We're…going to die…" March sighed quietly in the back seat.

* * *

Rinrin's streak of good luck had started way earlier in the day, actually. It all began with her usual wake up routine…

The sunlight streamed in through the paper panels and settled upon the rows upon rows of alarm clocks, each ticking in loud meticulously synchronized unison towards….

RIIIING! BEEP! SWOOSH! WOOP! SMASH! BANG!

"Ri…Rinrin-chan?!" Shinobu, still in her pajamas, cried, sliding open the door marked 'Rinrin's laboratory'. She quickly placed her hands over her ears, trying to keep out as much of the cacophony out of her head as possible. No, it was impossible. The incessant jumble of rings, beeps, and just about every other sound effect conceivable continued to hammer her head like an angry mob. Where was it coming from?

Shinobu quickly looked around the room. In one corner stood Rinrin's thermonuclear reactor ('just like the one in Suu's room', Shinobu thought.), in another sat a huge humanoid object, presumably a robot of some kind. Evidence of a genius mind (albeit slightly insane) at work inventing was scattered all across the room.

'And she just moved into this room yesterday too…' Shinobu thought as she continued her search for the source of the din. She found a bunk bed on one side of the room which had already been modified such that its lower bed was replaced with storage space. "Rinrin-chan!" Shinobu called out over the noise in the direction of the bunk bed. No response.

Something suddenly caught Shinobu's eye. She looked around and noticed a small basket by a huge drawing board.

The drawing board itself had what looked like the outline of a human child with many schematics drawn across it. Most of the scribbles on it were done in Rinrin's shorthand. Some were even in Chinese. Just looking at it was enough to make Shinobu dizzy. As if the noise wasn't enough to drive her mad…

She walked up to the said basket and sighed when she found what was inside. It was Rinrin, curled up kitten-like, wrapped in nothing but a thin blanket, still in the clothes she had worn the day before. A few feet away, atop a desk, was the army of alarm clocks of every shape and make, all emitting their own characteristic sleep-ruiner.

Their effects were rather lost on Rinrin though.

Shinobu quickly ran up to the alarm clocks and started turning them all off one annoying wail at a time. Some were so exotic that she had to spend some time figuring out how to turn it off. She even went as far as taking out the batteries out of some.

Finally, peace and quiet returned to the room. Shinobu sighed with relief before turning to Rinrin….who was still sound asleep.

"Rinrin-chan….Rinrin-chan….I think you're supposed to wake up now…" Shinobu said, shaking Rinrin by the shoulders. Rinrin remained limp and responseless, the only telltale of life being her deep, quiet breathing.

"Oh…Rinrin-chan?" Keitaro asked, suddenly coming in through the door, yawning. "She's a natural heavy-sleeper. And from the looks of it she's been working all night again…" Keitaro looked around the room and shook his head sleepily. "This'll work though…." He took out a 5.000 yen note from the pocket of his pants and waved it in front of Rinrin's nose.

Rinrin suddenly rose up, her eyes still closed, her nose following the 5.000 yen note like a cobra entranced by sweet music. Shinobu gaped in awe. Keitaro gently brought Rinrin up to a standing position before snapping his fingers.

"Whoaah!" Rinrin yelped, suddenly falling into a heap on the floor.

"Rinrin-chan! You're awake!" Shinobu cried, a wave of relief washing over her.

"Huh? What? Where's the money?" Rinrin asked, looking around. "Oh...ohayo, Shinobu-sempai, A-a-aniki." Rinrin said, stifling a yawn.

"Ohayo, Rinrin-chan." Keitaro said, turning around to leave. "Oh, and thank you for trying, Shinobu-chan. But I should tell you, waking up Rinrin by shaking her or throwing buckets of water on her would never work. Ahhh….back to studying….got an hour left…." He yawned, leaving.

"Good luck, Sempai." Shinobu called after Keitaro, before turning back to Rinrin. "Now, Rinrin-chan….eh?" She looked down at Rinrin's limp form on the ground. Rinrin was again purring lightly, a contented smile on her face, her eyes closed. "RINRIN-CHAN! DON'T FALL ASLEEP ON ME AGAIN! AWAWAWAWAWAWA!"

* * *

"Uhh…why does it have to be so early…" Rinrin sighed irritably as she stumbled down the corridor, trying her best to get her gi on at the same time. What greeted her when she reached Keitaro's room did nothing to help with said irritation. If anything, it worsened it.

With a sigh she reached inside her gi and pulled out what looked like a rubber ducky. She pulled a pin out of said rubber ducky, threw it inside the room, and took cover behind a wall.

A second later found said rubber ducky bouncing back into the corridor, right in front of Rinrin. "Noo…." Rinrin's mouth fell open a few split seconds before the duck went 'quack'.

* * *

"Suu…isn't it too early to start blowing things up…?" Motoko asked as she slipped into her hakama. "Suu?" She looked behind her and found the dark-skinned mad scientist and prime suspect for anything going kaboom still asleep on her futon. "Huh? Then where did that explosion come from?" She asked herself, picking up her katana before leaving her room to investigate.

It didn't take long. If it wasn't Suu, it was usually Keitaro's abysmal luck that attracted the explosions. Well, it wasn't Keitaro this time, but it was quite close. When she reached his room there was already an argument going on at full blast.

"But we agreed to sleep in separate rooms!" Rinrin, blackened by soot, cried.

"Well, the twins were restless so I and Keiko came here to keep them company." Sakuya said flatly, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Then how could you explain everyone else sleeping here?" Rinrin asked, pointing out the rest of the sisters who were still drowsily rubbing their eyes, all gathered in Keitaro's room. "This isn't fair! I wanted to sleep with Aniki too!"

"But Oniichan didn't sleep the whole night…" Karen murmured sleepily, gesturing at Keitaro's sleeping form, bowed over his revision books. Apparently, the explosion outside his room hadn't affected him one bit.

"Nii-yaa" Aria murmured in her usual quiet little voice.

"It just…sort of happened…" Mizuki shrugged. "One moment, I was in my room…the next, I was here."

"I'm sorry for tossing out the ducky." Keiko bowed apologetically. "I just didn't want it to hurt anyone."

"It was her fault anyway." Sakuya shrugged.

"Anou…what's happened?" Shinobu asked worriedly as she rushed towards Keitaro's room, her apron hanging loosely on her neck.

"Just a sibling squabble." Motoko sighed, smiling slightly as she watched Sakuya hold Rinrin out at arm's length as she flailed her arms futilely at Sakuya.

"Oh…" Shinobu sighed in relief. "I thought it was another one of Kaolla-san's experiments gone wrong…"

KABOOM…

"Oh…" Shinobu looked up at the third floor, in the direction of Suu's room.

"Oh, no, that wasn't one of her experiments. That was just her ohayo-maru alarm clock." Motoko said, turning to leave. "I'd better hurry and get to training."

"We should hurry to morning training too." Keiko said as she bustled about, neatly folding up the futons and blankets.

"Karen-chan thinks it's ok to let Oniichan sleep through this one." Karen smiled, carefully placing a blanket on Keitaro's back.

"Let's settle this one on the battlefield, Rinrin." Sakuya said, tossing Rinrin a boken.

"Ok then, deal!" Rinrin nodded determinedly.

"Keiko will be your opponent." Sakuya nodded.

"What?!" Rinrin looked around at the Urashima sisters' most accomplished martial artist who was helping Hinata and Hinako change into their hakamas and gis. "How does that work?"

"Because I said so." Sakuya smiled slyly.

"…Fumyu…." Rinrin sagged.

* * *

Naru watched with a certain amount of awe as the snow flew up in a wide sweeping arc under the two blurs that were rapidly dancing around one another, bokens whipping through the air, some distance away. Above them, the cold, pale winter sun shone down through the boughs of the trees above.

The Urashima family must be one of Japan's old, well established families, she decided, perhaps of honourable samurai descent, judging by the size and style of their estate and the rigorous martial arts training they had put their children through, both male and female. This inspired a bit of awe and yet also a bit of sorrow in her – that these children were fighting to keep their traditions alive and yet they were the final hope of their ancient clan. So young, and yet, they had to bear that heavy responsibility.

She shivered slightly, her breath coming out in bright little puffs under the pale sun light. 'How do they cope with the weather?' She thought to herself as she tightened her training anorak around herself.

"It helps if you move a bit." She heard a voice answer her unuttered question. She turned around and found Motoko watching right beside her.

"I was just thinking about how the Urashimas could be a descendant of some old, venerated samurai clan of sorts." Naru said, stamping her feet a bit. "Sounds like I've been reading too many mangas as of late, huh?" She chuckled.

"Who knows?" Motoko shrugged. "You might be close." Naru looked around at Motoko in surprise. "I wouldn't rule out that possibility, not after yesterday." She said in an introspective tone. "Ah, Keiko won." She pointed out as the victor of the sparring match was decided with the fall of one of the younger sisters into the snow.

"That's Rinrin-chan, isn't it?" Naru asked, watching as the victor, Keiko, came up and pulled Rinrin up to her feet.

"Why, yes, it is." Motoko nodded. "We really must start getting used to their names." They watched on as childish laughter broke out amongst the children at the result of the sparring match. Snowballs started flying right and left as the morning training session ended with yet another sisterly game.

"What are you two smiling about?" Mitsune asked as she came up to them. "Oh, morning training again?"

"You're up early, Mitsune-sempai." Motoko commented, a bit surprised with the resident drunkard's early appearance. Not to mention she didn't look as haggard as she usually does in the mornings.

"I took Keitaro's suggestion and cut back on the drinking." Mitsune chuckled. "It's not pleasant, being sober enough to think. But now that I think about it, not having a killer hangover for once is nice."

"I'll take it as an improvement then." Naru smiled at her friend. The sisters have only been around for 5 days and already things seemed to be changing for the better.

"Well, I think it's time to hit the baths." Mitsune said, watching as the sisters started running back up towards the Hinata Sou, pausing along their way to politely say 'good morning' before proceeding on their way with Rinrin tagging along behind, carrying Aria on her back.

"By the way, now that we have a male amidst us this Christmas, we can expect proper presents, can't we?" Mitsune asked with a sly grin.

Naru gave her a reproachful knock on the forehead. "Hey, Keitaro has enough trouble making money. Don't make it more difficult for him."

"True…providing for so many siblings must be taxing." Motoko nodded. "If it weren't for that vile woman…"

The three of them watched silently as the sisters disappeared into the Hinata Sou. Here, at least, with their brother and newfound family, they would be safe...or so they thought.

* * *

Quite a while later…

"Nii-yaa…Nii-yaa…" Keitaro heard a voice echo within the dimness of his mind. The voice slowly diffused into the inner reaches of his mind before gently nudging him awake.

"Huh? Oh….Aria-chan…" Keitaro slowly blinked up at the cute little face that was only an inch away from his as his mind slowly went through its preliminary startup phases.

"Hyaa….Nii-yaa's awake…" Aria squeaked, smiling an adorable little smile. Keitaro slowly raised himself into a sitting position and looked down at the kotatsu table he had just slept on. It was littered with little scraps of paper that covered the mass of review books underneath.

"Umm…." Keitaro groaned, stretching, as he looked around. "Good morning, Aria-chan." He said, gently ruffling her silky light blue hair, causing her to giggle with delight.

'So cute.' Keitaro thought with a smile. 'It seems all of them will grow up to become as beautiful as their mother.' Suddenly, a rather dark thought descended upon him. 'Wait…that means….every hentai in the country will be after them. No…even now, they'll be the target of every lolicon in the country…' He gasped inwardly. Just as he was considering buying all of his sisters .12 gauge shotguns for Christmas, said train of thought was cut off midway by the door sliding open.

"Well, since you lost, you'll have to take the mail down to the postbox." Sakuya said, entering the room carrying a cup of steaming coffee on a tray. "Oh, Onii-sama, you're awake."

"Why me? And why can't we stick to e-mail?" Rinrin sighed, trailing right behind Sakuya.

"Because there's that package that Haruka oba-san needs to mail to Grandma Hina too." She said over her shoulder at Rinrin before turning to her brother. "Here's your coffee, Onii-sama." Sakuya said, placing the cup of coffee on Keitaro's table. "Oh, and Shirayuki-chan has made breakfast for you too. You should eat a bit before you leave."

"Thanks, Sakuya-chan." Keitaro nodded, taking a sip of the coffee, before standing up. "Hmm…gotta get ready." He said, walking off in search of a change of clothes. "Oh, Kaho-chan, what's this?" He asked, kneeling down beside Kaho who had run up to him carrying the flower they had saved.

Hinako and Hinata, who had just entered the room, joined Aria in watching Keitaro comment on the flower. "Wow, it's about ready to bloom." Keitaro smiled down at Kaho, patting her lovingly on the head. "What? For me?" He asked as Kaho held it out to Keitaro. "Haha, that's a rather early Christmas present, but I'll accept it. Thank you." He leaned down to give Kaho a warm snuggle and a tight hug. "Can you please take care of it for me then?"

Hinata gave Hinako a worried look. Together they looked around at Aria who somehow shared their thoughts. None of them had a Christmas present for their brother. Together they gave Kaho and Keitaro another worried glance before nodding in unison. Time to go gift hunting.

* * *

The air outside was sweet and fresh, albeit chilly, as Keitaro found when he stepped out onto the terrace along with Naru, Ako, and Makie. The city below them was a blanket of pure white, flecked with dots of grey and black, with the blue sky extending above it as far as the eyes can see.

"Good luck!" Everyone called out.

"No problem!" Keitaro said confidently, grasping air. "I'll definitely ace today!"

"Off course you will, Anigimi-sama." Keiko said with a smile.

"You'd better." Sakuya said, her hands on her hips. "Don't come back until you've succeeded."

"Will do." Keitaro cracked a determined grin.

"W-Wait for me!" Rinrin shouted, sliding down the banister before slipping and sliding through the living room, all the while trying to stuff a number of packages and letters with enough stamps on them to make a philatelist drool into her backpack.

"Oh, Rinrin, take this with you." Sakuya said, tossing a cloth wrapped object over at Rinrin. Rinrin caught it and looked up at Sakuya inquiringly. "You might need it. Just keep it with you." Sakuya said, nodding at Rinrin.

Pausing only to shove the said object into her backpack and thanking Sakuya, she continued on running after her brother. "Aniki! Wait for me!" She called out.

"Where are you going so early in the morning, Rinrin-chan?" Naru asked as they descended the long flight of stairs under the snow laden boughs of the bare cherry blossom trees.

"Well….the mailbox first then I need to pick up the groceries Shirayuki-chan ordered." Rinrin said, in her usual casual Chinese accent.

"Well, take care, ok?" Keitaro said, ruffling her thick brown hair. "You're not going to get lost, are you?"

"Aniki, I'm 11 already…" Rinrin protested, but smiling all the same as she enjoyed the attention she was getting.

"Hahaha, yeah, I almost forgot. Rinrin-chan's a big girl now…" Keitaro laughed heartily, pausing briefly to fix Rinrin's scarf. "Well, you must be careful all the same, ok?" Keitaro said as they reached the street. The streetcar was already waiting for them at the stop. "Oh, perfect timing. See you later, Rinrin-chan!" Keitaro said, while the other girls echoed Keitaro's last words.

"Good luck, Aniki! Naru-sempai!" Rinrin shouted as she watched the streetcar slowly leave the stop. As it finally disappeared around the hill she sighed and turned to leave. A gentle breeze blew by, blowing up a few tufts of snow across her path. She stopped for a moment and breathed in the cold, crisp fresh air as the wind gently ruffled her hair.

"I wonder, Chao Ling Shen-sempai, Ku Fei-sempai…is this wind blowing through the place you're at now?" She smiled as she reminisced about her seniors back in China.

"Ok, enough sentimental stuff for today." She laughed as she snapped out of memory lane. She turned around, dug into her backpack, brought out a pair of a rollerblades boasting her trademarked 'R squared' insignia, and grinned. "…Kids….don't try this at home…"

She spent the next few moments fine tuning the motors and feedback mechanisms on her mechanized rollerblades before putting them on. She was so engrossed in it, in fact, that despite her usual sensitivity to her surroundings, she somehow failed to notice three little figures dash out from behind a bush behind her and out across the deserted street.

* * *

"Falling asleep already, Karen-chan?" Sakuya teased as she looked down at her little sister who was nodding off over her knitting on the living room sofa.

"Huh? Ah! Karen-chan's got to get back to work!" Karen panicked, quickly returning to work on her knitting. In her lap was an almost completed beautifully patterned scarf.

"That's a really nice scarf, Karen-chan." Shinobu leaned in to take a closer look.

"Karen-chan's been working on that scarf all night." Shirayuki said, walking into the living room while whisking a large bowl of batter, lightly skipping over Vanilla who was chasing after an errant ball of yarn. "Hime-chan thinks she started on it the night before, the day we arrived here."

"Oh….a Christmas present for Onii-sama?" Sakuya asked, hugging Karen around the neck. "You're cute when you do that, you know?"

Karen blushed and shook her head. "It…It's just a thank-you Christmas present…Karen-chan wants to thank Onii-chan for his kindness and….and…."

"I wasn't saying it wasn't." Sakuya giggled, walking away. "And I'm guessing your Christmas present's a cake of some description, right?" Sakuya asked Shirayuki.

"Yes." Shirayuki nodded cheerfully. "A nice, big, creamy Christmas pudding."

"What a wonderful idea, Shirayuki-chan." Shinobu smiled at the young purple haired chef who smiled warmly back.

"I guess none of us can actually buy any gifts this year…" Sakuya sighed.

"That's what makes it special." Mizuki said, coming down the stairs. "And by the way…did anyone see the twins?"

"I haven't." Sakuya said, a look of apprehension suddenly dawning on her face. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Aria-chan around either."

"I've just been around cleaning up and I haven't seen any of them…" Shinobu added.

Shinobu and the sisters all exchanged worried glances. "I'll go look in the hot springs." Shinobu volunteered.

"I'll check the backyard and front yard." Sakuya said. "Shirayuki-chan, Karen-chan, can you two check the rooms again?" She asked the two. Shirayuki and Karen both nodded in the affirmative before leaving.

"They could be playing around in the basement or boiler room somewhere, those three…" Mizuki said, taking out a magnifying glass. "Wataru! Time for a little detective work."

The toucan flapped down and landed lightly on her shoulder. "Squawk! Checky!"

* * *

"A-Anou…Where can we find a Christmas present?" Hinako asked nervously as the chibi trio walked down the busy street. The shops had opened extra early in anticipation of late Christmas shoppers. Carols and ads intermingled in the air around them, creating that unique Christmas din.

"Stay close, you two." Hinata said, grasping Hinako and Aria's hands tightly. "Umm…we need money to buy presents." She pointed out.

"B-But we don't have any money." Aria said, suddenly looking crestfallen.

"To make money we must find a….umm…ummm…." Hinata cocked her head from right to left in search of the elusive word.

"...A job." Aria finished for her.

"Um...err…Where do we find a job?" Hinako asked.

"Ara, did I hear right? Are you three young ladies looking for a job?" A tall, long haired brunnete in a gothic long dress asked.

The three sisters looked up nervously at the stranger. A harsh bitter wind blew by as the stranger kneeled down in front of them.

"Ara, if you three need a job, I can help find you one." She offered.

"Onii-chama told us not to talk to strangers." Hinata said, her voice shaking slightly. Hinako and Aria had taken to hiding behind her back.

"Ara, I'm not a stranger." The young woman said. "In fact, I'm a close relative of your family. Remember? I was at the funeral." Hinako and Aria peeked out from behind Hinata to give the stranger a better look.

The three sisters took a tentative step backwards.

"My name's July, if you don't remember." She smiled sweetly.

The sisters gave each other hesitant looks before Hinata finally spoke up, "What sort of job?"

* * *

The small suburb street was deserted and quiet when Rinrin rounded the corner and sped towards the large red postbox on one side of the street. She spun into a graceful stop right in front of it, lifted her backpack, before dumping all its contents in. "Mission accomplished, with extreme prejudice." She put her hands on her hips and nodded with satisfaction.

She was about to turn around to leave when she suddenly realized something. "Ok….perhaps a bit too much prejudice…" She murmured as she looked inside her backpack. "Oh no….I dumped it along with the mail…" She gasped, realizing that the cloth wrapped object Sakuya had handed her was no longer there.

Something suddenly flicked in her mind. She whirled around looked around behind her at the tall church bell tower. Something flashed in the dark recesses of one of its windows. She gasped, her instincts kicking into full gear. The small motors embedded inside her rollerblades whined to life as she pressed down on them hard in an effort to escape.

A loud bang ripped through the crisp dry air, causing hundreds of birds to take sudden flight in a noisy rustling of wings and feathers. The mailbox suddenly exploded, spewing out its letters into the cold winter air.

* * *

The candles flickered gently in the gloaming darkness, casting distorted roving shadows all across the darkened room. Her eyes were used to the darkness. It suited her best. It understood her. She understood it.

After laying down a row of cards across the small desk in front of her she waited, watching as the candles flickered more urgently. Chikage noticed it. It was a sign.

She calmly reached out and flipped over her first card. "Opportunity…" She murmured, before flipping over another card. "Misfortune…"

She sighed, rubbing her temple with one hand as she raised the other over her crystal ball. A flicker danced across her eyes. "Rinrin-chan?"

"Chikage-neechan?" A voice asked as the door slid open slightly, allowing a shaft of light to infiltrate the darkness.

"Yes, Karen-chan?" Chikage asked, standing up and picking up her crystal ball.

"Have you seen the twins or Aria-chan? They've gone missing." Karen half-mumbled. She knew Chikage was as caring and kind an older sister as anyone could wish for. But there was just something about this particular older sister that somehow…made her somewhat uneasy.

"Hinako-chan? Hinata-chan? Aria-chan?" Chikage murmured, looking at Karen, before turning back to her tarot cards and opening up the third card. "Malevolence…" She muttered under her breath before striding to the door. "Come, Karen-chan." She said, whipping her heavy gothic cloak on and sweeping by Karen. "The cards do not speak well of the future."

* * *

"Here we are." July said, gesturing at the rather rundown building before them. The street around them was rather deserted, despite it being Christmas eve. There was a rather oppressive, heavy feel about the area. It had trouble written all over it in huge, flashing red letters.

"You said….it was a model job…" Hinata said, giving the building a rather nervous look.

"Well, it is." July nodded. "And they happen to be looking for little girls like you for the job."

The sisters gulped nervously. They needed the money, they knew that. But this…

"Hmm…?" A balding middle-aged man who had been leaning against the building's wall came up to them. "Merchandise?"

"No, these kids are looking for a job." July smiled innocently.

"A job?" The man eyed July skeptically. "A job, eh?" He looked over the three little girls before him who shrunk under his gaze. "They certainly look perfect for the 'job'." He nodded, a wry smile on his face. "What's the catch?" He looked up at July.

"A catch?" July half-gasped, as if in surprise. "My, since when does job applications involve a catch?"

"….Well…" The man scratched his head. "Ok, we'll have them. I take it you're not looking for a 'job' too, are you?" He asked July, not withholding any sarcasm.

"Oh, no, not me." July continued on smiling. The young woman's perpetual smile was starting to unsettle the man. "Go on, girls. You've got your job." She smiled, pushing the three little girls forwards.

Hinata, Hinako, and Aria were far too scared to speak.

"Come then, young ladies. We'll make real women of you yet." The man smiled a rather twisted smile as he pushed the shivering girls through the door. He looked around to give the strange brunette one last look, only, she wasn't there. He shrugged, before pushing the frightened girls inside.

"July?"

"Yes?" July replied while she watched as the girls disappeared into the building from the safety of a secluded alleyway.

"What were you doing?" The source of the voice, a young bespectacled orange-brunette, asked, pushing up her glasses.

July turned to face her older sister, February. "Just completing the mission." She shrugged.

"…." February gave her a rather thoughtful frown before turning around and disappearing into the darkness of the alleyway.

"Ara…" July continued on smiling as she gave the building one last glance before following her sister into the darkness.

* * *

"Ok, the test starts…now." The invigilator announced in a snappy voice. A rather frantic and nervous rustling of papers filled the room as all the students immediately turned over their exam papers and started pouring over the questions.

"Ok, Napoleon fought the battle at Waterloo in…" Keitaro murmured, reading through the first question. But before he could reach the answer choices, his heart skipped a beat. He grasped the edges of his desk for support as he tried to regain breath. He was suddenly sweating profusely, his heart beating wildly.

Something bad was happening somewhere. He just knew it.

* * *

"Ouch…ouch…that smarts…" Rinrin gritted her teeth as she reached up to her right shoulder. It was wet and sticky, not to mention extremely painful. "A graze huh….From an anti-tank rifle?" Rinrin murmured to herself as she looked down at her bloody hand. She blinked away the tears of pain as she tried her best to take in her situation. She looked up at the totaled mailbox behind her.

"Talk about hotmail….I told them we should've stuck to e-mails." Rinrin chuckled bitterly as she scrabbled up to it and tossed out a few pieces of mail until she uncovered the cloth wrapped object. "At least I don't have to worry about losing this thing…"

"Urashima Rinrin…" A cool voice said from the other side of the mailbox.

Rinrin cautiously peeked out from behind the mailbox. "Oh…you're that girl from the funeral…" She said, standing up, one hand over her wound, the other grasping the cloth wrapped object.

The gothic clothed girl in front of her nodded gravely. "Yes, I'm April Marciano. Let's wrap this up quickly, Urashima. As you might already know, there's an anti-tank rifle now aimed at your head. You should already have a shallow graze along your right shoulder now. Running will do you no good. My sniper missed on purpose the first time. It won't happen again." The black haired girl warned.

"Anti-tank rifles? Who are you people?" Rinrin couldn't help but feel impressed. To actually try and snipe her with an anti-tank rifle….they've got to be either exceedingly smart or extremely idiotic. Insanity might also be another favourable factor, she decided.

"Resistance is futile. Please just hand over what you Urashimas are hiding." April said.

"What we're hiding?" Rinrin asked, suddenly confused. "What?"

"Don't act dumb." Another girl came up behind Rinrin. Rinrin whirled around to come face to face with an older, blonde haired chick. "We know you Urashimas have it."

"I have absolutely no idea what you people are talking about…" Rinrin said, looking about frantically for an escape route. Pretty much both ends of the street were blocked off by the two assailants.

"Oh well, we tried resolving this peacefully…" The blonde haired girl sighed, reaching behind her. "I've had enough of you, Urashima waste!" She shouted, taking out a pair of UMPN-90 submachine guns.

"JANUARY!" April shouted. "NO!"

"April! Our orders are to either take out the guardian or to injure one of his sisters if we don't recover the target!" January shouted at April. She turned to Rinrin and shouted "DIE!", letting loose a barrage of hot lead in Rinrin's direction.

Rinrin's rollerblade motors whined into life as she leapt backwards in April's direction, narrowly avoiding the bullets that peppered the ground she had occupied just a split second before. Luckily, April had leapt aside at the exact same time to avoid January's utterly horrible aim, giving Rinrin the chance to slip through down the deserted street.

"Hold your fire, Sep!" Rinrin heard April shout behind her, as she unwrapped the cloth to reveal her mediums – a pair of tonfas, before proceeding to tie the cloth around the shallow graze on her arm. "Thank you, Sakuya-neki…" She whispered under her breath as she grasped the twin tonfas.

April's shout was followed by the screeching of tires. Wait….tires?

She looked behind her just in time to see April and January climb board a jet black hummer that had appeared out of nowhere.

Rinrin cursed in Chinese under her breath as she accelerated on down the street. Season to be jolly? Sure….

* * *

"Hmmph…I knew it was trouble brewing from the very start." Sarah muttered as she watched Hinako, Hinata, and Aria getting ushered into the suspicious looking building from behind a convenient dustbin. She got up and rolled up her sleeves. "Well, they've got another thing coming."

Just as she was about to set out, a pair of hands reached out from the shadows of the alleyway behind her and grabbed her around the mouth before she could even scream, pulling her into the obscurity of the alleyway.

"Officer Haitani, do you read me?" A bespectacled beat cop shouted into his walkie-talkie, leaping behind the dustbin Sarah had been hiding behind just a moment ago.

"Yes, yes, Shirai, loud and clear…" Another beat cop sighed as he walked up to the dustbins, shaking his head in an exasperated manner as he watched his colleague peer out from behind the dustbins, holding out his nightstick like a gun. "This police patrol job sure is boring. I mean…nothing to do all day, really. Not a single crime in si…."

A little girl on rollerblades skid past, blowing snow onto the two cops, followed by a large black hummer drifting around the corner, its occupants spewing blazing hot lead left right and centre.

The two cops screamed and hugged each other tightly behind the dustbin as the commotion slowly died away.

"H-Haitani…" Shirai mumbled.

"Y-yeah?" Haitani replied, shivering.

"Never…ever…jinx us like that…again, ever…ok?"

"Y-yeah…"

"C-call…HQ…"

They both waited, ears pressed to the handheld radio, as their report was passed up the long bureaucratic chain of command at their station. Finally, a reply came. They almost gasped with happiness.

"You did not just see that black hummer. There were no guns or anything. You two were imagining things. Dismissed." The voice said over the radio.

"…What?" The two sat speechless for a good few minutes as they tried to process what their HQ just told them.

"Shirai…HQ just told us that we did not see a black hummer blowing the street away in pursuit of a little girl on rollerblades…" Haitani murmured, looking around at his comrade.

"Yes….and those rollerblades weren't rocket-powered roller-blades either…" Shirai supplied.

They looked down at their knees for a few moments…before looking back at one another. "Wasn't that Keitaro's little sister?" The asked one another again, before falling silent once more.

"To hell with HQ." They both finally muttered, standing up and knocking their knuckles together. "LET'S GO!" They ran out onto the pavement outside the alleyway…

…only to be greeted by a white van that was somehow flying over the pavement, straight towards them.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

* * *

The air in the homely little bakery was thick with the aroma of sweet smelling bread. Kaho couldn't stop wandering about the rather crowded store as she looked through all the sweet goodies the store had to offer.

"So, you girls just moved in to that inn up on the hill?" The black-haired baker girl asked as she wrapped up Keiko's orders. "Yuuji! We're running out of short cakes out here!" She called into the old traditional kitchen behind her.

"Sorry! Sorry, Shana-chan!" A young man's voice called from inside. "Ren-chan, get the melon-pan out of the oven! Hurry!"

"Yes, me and my sisters just moved in up there. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Keiko smiled, bowing politely.

"Here, have some of our melon-pan." Shana said, adding a couple of melon-pans into Keiko's shopping basket.

"Oh, I really can't impose…" Keiko started.

"It's our specialty." Shana winked. "You must try some." She looked around. "Ren-chan! You'd better not be munching on all the melon-pan again!" She called into the kitchen.

"Oh, Keiko-san." Keiko looked around at the source of the voice and found Makie peeking out of the kitchen, dressed in full white baker's attire, complete with a baker's hat. "What a pleasant surprise."

"Oh, so this is the bakery you work at." Keiko smiled. "And please don't be so formal. We're friends, remember?" She said, picking up her shopping basket.

"Oh, you two know each other?" Shana asked, bustling about the counter. "Yes, here's your order, sir." She said, tending to the other customers.

"It's a pity you visited us on Christmas eve. We're a bit busy, as you can see." Shana said, taking another tray of bread from another baker, a girl with pale green hair and bright red eyes. "Thanks, Ren-chan." She said to the girl before turning back to Keiko. "Otherwise, we'd be able to show you around the bakery."

"Oh, that's fine, really, seeing how busy you are." Keiko smiled.

"We're not always busy, you see." A young, black haired man said, coming out of the kitchen with yet another tray of freshly baked confectionary. "There's another store up front, Pantasia, a branch of the Pantasia franchise." He explained, deftly maneuvering around Shana in the cramped space behind the counter. "They get most of the customers on normal days."

"Hah! Yuuji, you jest! As if their stuff can beat our first class bread!" Shana laughed a confident little laugh.

Keiko couldn't help but blush so very slightly. The main reason she had come to this bakery instead of Pantasia was because she thought it would be cheaper here. "Well, I'd better be on my way." She smiled, bowing politely as she turned to leave. Truth be told, something was telling her that something bad was happening out there somewhere. She continually tried to ignore it as her just being a bit tired after the happenings of the past week but it continued on to haunt her. "Kaho." She called as she started for the door.

A sudden screeching noise brought their attention to the window…which suddenly shattered under the force of a number of lead tracers. Keiko grabbed Kaho before leaping for cover as glass shards and wooden splinters showered over them.

"Ssshh…it'll be ok." Keiko said, patting the shivering Kaho comfortingly as she tried to get a bearing on what was happening.

"WHO DARES DESTROY MY BAKERY!" Shana screamed, putting one foot up her counter while pulling back the sleeves of her baker's shirt.

"C-Calm down, Shana-chan." Yuuji cried, desperately holding onto Shana.

"Stay down, Kaho." Keiko whispered before slowly getting up into a kneeling position. She gasped upon seeing Rinrin speeding down the street with a large black car of some sort right on her tail. "Rinrin-chan!"

* * *

"It's good to be back here in Tokyo again." The old man said as he watched the street pass by the window. His old, wizened face betrayed many signs of age, a testament to the life's worth of experiences he has gone through. "Traveling just isn't for old men like me, really."

"Home is where the heart is, Konoemon-san." Seta nodded in agreement.

"As for me, traveling with drivers like you just isn't for people like me." Higuchi, who was sitting on the passenger's seat beside Seta, gasped, his stomach lurching to one side as the van swerved around the traffic like a reindeer on absinthe. "Yes, home is where the heart is, Seta…but I'd like to get home with my heart intact, please."

"Will do, Higuchi." Seta nodded, laughing heartily. "I must say though, the meeting went well, didn't it?" Seta said, looking around at headmaster Konoe. "We actually finished up earlier that we expected."

"Why, yes, it did." Konoe nodded, fiddling about with the puzzle box in his hands.

"What's that?" Seta suddenly asked, interested.

"Just something I've been trying to solve for the past decade. I've only completed one side though…." Konoe sighed, looking the small multi-coloured cube over.

"Seta?" Higuchi asked.

"Yes?" Seta replied.

"About the two unconscious cops in the back seat?" Higuchi querried.

"We'll drop them both off at a hospital, no worries." Seta nodded with a smile.

"Seta….the wall…" Higuchi said.

"Pardon?" Seta asked, looking around at Higuchi.

"The wall, Seta, the wall!" Higuchi said with a bit more urgency.

"Oh…that wall…" Seta laughed, finally noticing the wall looming up in front of them and hitting the brakes.

"Seta, that was the gas pedal." Higuchi pointed out.

"Oh, so it was." Seta laughed nonchalantly.

* * *

To be continued…

Behind the scenes…

Zeni: phew….finally…chapter 10…

Sakuya: That took you long enough. What happened?

Zeni: A lot of things, really. I really don't want to talk about it (sweat drops big time). Darn writer's block...

Rinrin: Before you forget, you'd better announce that new forum you set up.

Zeni: Oh, yeah, almost forgot. We've set up a fan community named the Unlimited Fan Works Forum, especially created to serve as a fan hub for fans of all fandoms. It's accessible through the 'homepage' link on our profile, or through this address - http(colon, slash, slash)unlimitedfanworks(dot)spreebb(dot)com. We've also moved the Sister Princess character profiles over there along with the pics gallery.

BTB: Also, you could access previews and sneak peeks, and even contribute to the development of our current projects at the UFW. Beta versions of Sister Princess and all our other fics would show up there first before getting published anywhere else so if you'd like to get them fresh off the press, that's where to go.

Eternity-Incarnate: Also, if you've got your own works, whether it be fanfiction, fanart, or anything at all, feel free to post it there and have it commented on. We and other fans could also try and help you out in places. Oh, and we also host fan clubs, fan brigades, shrines, etc. So if you've got an itch to start off a fan club, brigade, or shrine of your own, UFW's the place to go.

Zeni: So please do visit us at the UFW and become a part of our fledgling little fan community. It's still growing, but we're sure that, with your help, we can turn it into a bustling world fan community for all. Your support is priceless in helping us develop this site. Anyway, on to the omakes:

Suu and Sarah's lecture on 101 ways to annoy people in elevators

Keitaro: Lesson 1(Walks into the elevator and starts humming the mission impossible theme while looking left and right at his fellow passengers) Dum-Dum---DumDum—Dum-Dum….

Sarah: Lesson 2

Rinrin: (Walks into the elevator, puts down a box in the corner and says) Hey, do you hear ticking?

Suu: Lesson 3

Shinobu: (Walks into the elevator. Just as the elevator doors shut..)AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWA!(Screams and slams the closed doors with her fists…then turns around and acts embarrassed)

Sarah: Lesson 4

Hinako: (Walks into the elevator) Mary had a little lamb…a little lamb…a little lamb…Mary had a little lamb…her fleece was white as snow( Sings while pushing all the buttons, then exits at the next floor.)

Suu: Lesson 5:

Sakuya: (Walks into the elevator, and pushes the emergency call button) Hello? Hello? Is this thing on? Operator?

Sarah: Lesson 6:

Mizuki: (Walks into the elevator, pulls out a notebook, and starts scribbling furiously, pausing sometimes to glance at the other passengers. When the other passengers try to look at her notebook, she clutches it closely to her chest)

Suu: Lesson 7:

Naru: (Walks into the elevator) Do you hear cables snapping? (Asks other passengers. Repeat)

Sarah: Lesson 8:

Hinata: (Walks into the elevator, puts some red paint on the ceiling and makes sure it drips, and as the passengers come in and notice the paint…) I think they want in….

Suu: Lesson 9:

Chiikage: (Walks into the elevator, draws a square on the ground with a piece of chalk and says) This is my personal space, no trespassing.

Suu: Lesson 10:

Aria: (Walks into the elevator, rides up to the topmost floor, then waits as more passengers come in, then rides down to the bottommost floor, repeats)

Sarah: Lesson 11:

Mamoru: (Runs around the track 20 laps, forgets to put one deodorant, eats plenty of beans, and doesn't take a shower. Oh, and wears a sleeveless tanktop too, then comes into the elevator. Does a couple of stretches while she's in there too)

Suu: Lesson 12:

Mitsune: (Walks into elevator) I live in this building, and I've declared my apartment to be an independent nation. All you people living above me are violating airspace.

Sarah: Lesson 13:

Karen: (Walks into the elevator, looks at her watch, and says) Don't worry, it won't explode for another 2 minutes (to the other passengers)

Suu: Lesson 14:

Zeni: (Walks into the elevator) Welcome aboard elevator number 3. In accordance with civil vertical transportation laws, we must make sure you passengers are aware of the emergency safety procedures. There are two exits, one through the door, and one through the overhead hatch. If you hear ticking or cables snapping, please remember to pray and leave all your worldly belongings behind. Thank you.

Sarah: Lesson 15:

Mutsumi: Ara, Ara, sorry, no more space (the entire elevator is taken up by watermelons)

Suu: Lesson 16:

Shirayuki: (Claps and applauds wildly every time someone enters or exits the elevator)

Sarah: Lesson 17:

Tsuroko: (Silence…silence…silence…) CAN'T YOU ALL SHUT UP! I'M TRYING TO THINK HERE!

Suu: Lesson 18:

Keiko: (Stands by the buttons, then addresses the other passengers) Hello, Good afternoon, what floor sir?

Unfortunate sir: Umm…13th floor please, thanks.

Keiko: Right away sir (pushes the button for the 3rd floor on purpose, then hums a cheerful tune)

Unfortunate sir: …

Sarah: Lesson 19:

Shirai: (Walks into the elevator) Hey, do you know that there's a penthouse on the top floor? And that there are mafia gangsters based there? I happen to know…(Goes on in the same retarded manner while addressing the other passengers)

Suu: Lesson 20:

Haitani: (Looks up at the surveillance camera) Hello! Hey, everyone! Look up at the camera! Hello! Hi! Can you see me!

Sarah: Lesson 21:

Kaho: (Draws a chalk outline of a body on the floor of the elevator, tapes police tape across the elevator opening, puts on a policewoman outfit, gets Big Tama to be the witness, takes out a notebook and starts questioning Big Tama.)……….

Big Tama: Myuuu….

Kaho: ….(Imagine how annoyed people would be if the elevator doors open to reveal such a scene…)

Suu: Lesson 22:

Marie: (Brings in a suitcase, and as the elevator is moving, she opens it and says) Got enough air in there?

Sarah: Lesson 23:

Keitarou: (Lifts a couple of skirts, asks some people to lift their feet, check everyone's pockets and belongings, then says) Has anyone seen my pet rhinoceros?

Suu: Lesson 24:

Grandma Hina: (As the elevator doors close) Don't worry, they'll open up again soon (addresses other passengers)

Sarah: Lesson 25: Never really put in 101 points in something titled '101 something-something'. Nobody ever reads the whole thing. Just make sure you've got a beginning and an end, forget the middle.

Suu: Lesson 100, pay attention everyone! (wears a clown suit while carrying an arsenal of cream pies inside the empty elevator, giggles madly as she waits for the elevator doors to open, and just as it opens…) Hello everyone!

Everyone outside the elevator: HELL-O! (takes out machine guns and sends a hell worth of hot lead in Suu's direction. They've tolerated this far enough, 99 days of freakiness in the elevators is enough to drive anyone crazy…)

Sarah: Lesson 101,

Everyone: Don't try this at home…or anywhere else full of sensible people for that matter

Keitaro: Yes, everyone involved in the demonstrations are all highly trained and qualified people. You must not under any circumstances attempt any of the things demonstrated in today's lesson, except probably on April Fools' day…

Zeni: See you next chapter! Better yet, see you at the Unlimited Fan Works Forum!

* * *

Previews of goodies you could expect at the UFW forum:

Title: So, What Now, Genius?!

Premise: The Hinata girls, except for Naru, all found themselves pregnant, courtesy of our favourite Kanrinrin. How will he deal with it?

* * *

Naru can't help but sigh and shake her head in frustration as she realized that the Okinawan, though present in body, was perhaps no longer present in spirit. "Mutsumi-san, do you need CPR?"

Otohime Mutsumi's face was a glazed mask wearing her trademark perpetually cheerful expression. Naru had a feeling that one flick would cause it to crack and shatter into a shower of cheap porcelain bits. She drew a few short breaths before inhaling deeply. "OTOHIME MUTSUMI!"

Naru can't help but feel as if she had achieved a rather miraculous feat of necromancy as life slowly flooded back into the Okinawan's face. She frowned slightly, though still smiling, as if trying to process the rather loud voice that had just assaulted her eardrums.

The thought process finally ended with a rather quiet "Ara?"

Keitaro did his best to hide behind his textbooks. There was no way in the world he could look into Mutsumi's eyes. No, he can't. He just can't.

Not after….what happened….

"You know….is it just me, or has everyone been acting rather weird, lately? Ever since I came back…." Naru paused, scanning the faces of her two companions.

Keitaro almost choked. Thankfully, a sneeze came on at the exact time, disguising any give-aways.

Mutsumi, meanwhile, looked as oblivious as ever. For all intents and purposes, she might as well be vegetating.

Naru, still suspicious over the lack of any signs, probed on. "….there's been a….tension in the air around here. Everyone's been…..well….nice…." She couldn't find a better word for it, even with her Toudai entrance level Japanese literature vocabulary. Everyone had been oh so very polite to one another, especially to her. It was….disturbing….

And that wasn't all. Shinobu had become quieter and more reserved than ever before, not to mention more prone to sudden fits of nerves, as if she wasn't jittery enough. Motoko had gone back to her usual cold-swordswoman self, and would snap at every little bit of annoyance. Suu's hyperactivity has seen a slight yet perceptible decrease, and if that wasn't enough….

…Mitsune STOPPED DRINKING COMPLETELY.

And Mitsune sober was perhaps the most disturbing thing she has ever seen in her life. Mitsune's life has always been all about men like Johnny Walker and Remy Martin. To think that she suddenly dumped them….

…Shinobu might as well pull off a Pablo Francisco impression.

* * *

Title: To be decided

Premise: Zeni! Not another Keitaro-having-multiple-sisters drama WAF fic! Sister Princess is enough, Zeni! But…wait….who are the sisters this time…?

* * *

"Urashima Motoko? Urashima Naru?"

"Yes, I'm Urashima Motoko." A raven haired young woman answered upon reaching the front door.

"A package for us?" The auburn haired young woman trailing behind the first one asked the courier.

"Yes, please sign here." The courier said, handing a pen and a clipboard to the one apparently named Motoko. "Yes, thank you. Good day to you two." The courier nodded, touching his cap as he turned to leave.

"…It's a package from Kanako-chan." Motoko said. "Oh, and there's a letter attached." She added, walking out of the shade of the verandah to better read the writing on the envelope. The cicadas burst into song out in the bushes surrounding the courtyard as she went past.

"Well, it must be quite urgent if she sent it here via courier. Open it." The other woman, obviously named Naru, said, rather anxiously, as she followed Motoko out into the sun.

"…looks like he did it again." Motoko noted after briefly scanning through the letter before handing it over to Naru. "Here, read it for yourself."

"….he failed the Tokyo-U exams…" Naru murmured.

"Again…" They sighed in unison.

"Not to mention he got kicked out from home." Motoko added.

"Well, it says here that he's planning on…wait…this can't be right…" Naru looked around at Motoko, utter perplexity etched on her face. "He's coming here."

"….He could at least call us." Motoko commented, nodding.

"No, I mean, he wants to stay here." Naru pointed out. "How will that be possible? He knows this is an all girls' dormitory."

"That occurred to me." Motoko nodded again. "Which is perhaps why Kanako-chan sent us this." She showed Naru the contents of the package.

"….You've gotta be kidding me…" Naru said in a foreboding tone, pulling out a long black wig out of the package.

"….As they say, where there's a will, there's a way. And in Rome, do as the Romans do." Motoko said, raising one of the pieces of assorted clothing stuffed into the package. "Obviously, Kanako-chan's sense of fashion hasn't changed."

"Can you please act a bit more worried?" Naru walked around in circles, fretting. "There's no way any of this would work."

"I AM worried." Motoko said. "I'm worried about his pocket money. Do you think he still gets pocket money now that he's been kicked out or would we have to support him?"

"…Motoko…" Naru sagged.

* * *

Not available at any fanfic site as of yet. Find more previews and sneak peeks of these two fics, and more of others, such as 'No Strings Attached', 'Forevermore', etc. at the UFW! 


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